You’ve never seen a fire extinguisher that looks like this
The home fire extinguisher has gotten a makeover.
For entrepreneur Rodolphe Gimenez, moving into a new home sparked an idea for decorative fire extinguishers that would provide safety without sacrificing style.
And the concept caught on like, well, wildfire.
Seven years later, Gimenez’s French company, Fire Design, boasts more than 400 designs, including a tank made to look like a bottle of fine wine in a wooden crate, sleek chrome models or ones with whimsical embellishments, colorful graphics, limited-edition novelty designs (think: denim-covered) and options for customization.
Capt. Larry Kurtz, public information officer for the Orange County Fire Authority, supports more fire extinguishers in the home but cautioned: If you go with a “cute†fire extinguisher, everyone in the household — guests included — need to know what it is or else they might overlook it in an emergency or be hesitant to use it.
Fire Design’s powder-based extinguishing agents come in three tank sizes. . (Conventional wisdom is that bigger is better, but not if the smaller members of your household cannot wield it in an emergency.) Each is marked with identification numbers so owners can take advantage of a 10-year warranty that includes free checkups and refills. Includes mounting bracket for home or car, starting at $98. Fire-Design.Fr.
