Should you open your garage door if there's a fire in the garage? (looking for actual firemen to answer this)

[67CBodyGuy]

I listen to the radio scanner in my town and I hear a few house and garage fires a year. Two garage fires happened in the past few months (the second was just today).

What seems to happen is that the firemen show up, they see smoke so they know there's a fire, they've been told during the call that it's a garage fire. But the garage door is down. Either because nobody is home, or the occupants have evacuated but left the main garage door down. Usually (or always) the firemen will get a saw out and start hacking up the door to get into the garage.

These are garages attached to the house, not a separate garage building.

This is where my question comes in: If I'm in my home and I think there's a fire somewhere and I open the interior man door to my garage (which is a metal-clad door) and see that there's a fire in there, I know that my garage door wall switch is on the wall right next to the door and I can slap it quick then close the man door and call 911 and then evacuate the house. Or I can NOT open the garage door and call 911 and evacuate. If I evacuate without opening the door, I know that in 2 minutes the firemen will be hacking the door. If I open the door, then the arriving firemen will get a good visual idea what's going on in the garage and they'll be able to immediately drag a hose into the garage and shoot water at the fire.

There are those that say if I open the door, I'll be "feeding the fire" and that's worse than the firemen having to deal with the door when they arrive. I don't subscribe to that theory, but I want to hear from someone with actual fire experience - would you rather pull up to a garage fire with the garage door already open, or not?

(quick edit: I've done web-searches for this, zero results, nothing about opening the door if there's an active fire).

 

[72bluNblu]

22 year professional firefighter here, plus fed seasonal and volunteer time before that.

Leave the garage door closed!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

If you suspect there’s a fire in your garage, don’t open the man door from the house into the garage to check. Don’t open the garage door either. Just call 911 and evacuate immediately.

If you open the man door and the fire is significant, you’ll contaminate your house with smoke and possibly spread the fire inside. If you open the garage door the fire will grow completely unchecked and progress VERY rapidly. If the garage door is closed, it will use up its readily available oxygen and then slow down, instead of free burning the whole time.

Yes, the fire department will likely open the garage door to fight the fire. And they may have to cut it depending on the situation. But they should have a hose line in place when they do that, so water can be added at the same time the door is opened. Opening the garage door without water ready to fight the fire just accelerates the progression of the fire. Water and ventilation have to be timed to happen as closely together as possible for best results.

You don’t know how long it will take the fire department to get there either. It should only be a few minutes under normal circumstances in a lot places, but depending on where you are, whether or not your closest engine is available or already on another call, etc it could easily be 5 minutes or more. If that door is open that whole time, with no water being applied, the garage will be fully involved before they even get there. Cutting the door (if necessary) is pretty easy.

 

[George Jets]

Don't have a fire in the garage in the first place.

Keep paint and flammables away from hot sparks and the over throw blowing off the end of your oxy acetylene cutting torch.

Common Sense


.

 

[72bluNblu]

Don't have a fire in the garage in the first place.

Keep paint and flamibles away from hot sparks and the over throw blowing off the end of your oxy acetylene cutting torch.

Common Sense


.

Ah yes, because it’s that easy and those are the only things in a garage that can cause a fire.

Sure, common sense goes a long way, but there’s a lot that can go wrong that has absolutely nothing to do with any of that. You can do it all right and still have something happen that’s out of your control.

 

[LO23M8B]

When I'm cutting or welding, I always have a person doing a fire watch. And I have a lot of fire extinguishers around.

 

[George Jets]

When I'm cutting or welding, I always have a person doing a fire watch. And I have a lot of fire extinguishers around.

Good Common Sense


.

 

[dart4forte]

Oxygen feeds fire, open the garage door and provide more oxygen. Not a good formula

 

[RAT ROD AL]

 

[1WildRT]

Don't park your Tesla in the garage....

 

[Car Nut]

22 year professional firefighter here, plus fed seasonal and volunteer time before that.

Leave the garage door closed!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

If you suspect there’s a fire in your garage, don’t open the man door from the house into the garage to check. Don’t open the garage door either. Just call 911 and evacuate immediately.

If you open the man door and the fire is significant, you’ll contaminate your house with smoke and possibly spread the fire inside. If you open the garage door the fire will grow completely unchecked and progress VERY rapidly. If the garage door is closed, it will use up its readily available oxygen and then slow down, instead of free burning the whole time.

Yes, the fire department will likely open the garage door to fight the fire. And they may have to cut it depending on the situation. But they should have a hose line in place when they do that, so water can be added at the same time the door is opened. Opening the garage door without water ready to fight the fire just accelerates the progression of the fire. Water and ventilation have to be timed to happen as closely together as possible for best results.

You don’t know how long it will take the fire department to get there either. It should only be a few minutes under normal circumstances in a lot places, but depending on where you are, whether or not your closest engine is available or already on another call, etc it could easily be 5 minutes or more. If that door is open that whole time, with no water being applied, the garage will be fully involved before they even get there. Cutting the door (if necessary) is pretty easy.

Backdraft right?

I think we’re taught that in elementary school.

 

[72bluNblu]

Backdraft right?

I think we’re taught that in elementary school.

Very few fires actually backdraft in the classic sense (or like the movie!). But unless water is being applied about the only thing you can have going for you is oxygen limitation. If a fire has all the oxygen it wants it will consume all of the fuel it has access to.

If it goes oxygen limited it can’t progress freely. That doesn’t mean it will stop burning (usually), but it can slow the progress down some. And that usually means less damage and a less intense fire when the fire department does arrive vs a free burning fire.

 

[67CBodyGuy]

It just seems to me that you're balancing a marginally more robust fire for a few minutes vs real initial accessibility to fight it when you have to deal with, say, a 16 ft door, 2 inch insulated metal-clad door with structual beams to cut through.

If the fire happens to be in the space directly under the door, then the door being open can shield the ceiling from direct fire exposure.

Bit of a side topic, but is having a smoke detector in an attached garage part of any building code? It would seem like a good idea.

 

[72bluNblu]

It just seems to me that you're balancing a marginally more robust fire for a few minutes vs real initial accessibility to fight it when you have to deal with, say, a 16 ft door, 2 inch insulated metal-clad door with structual beams to cut through.

If the fire happens to be in the space directly under the door, then the door being open can shield the ceiling from direct fire exposure.

Bit of a side topic, but is having a smoke detector in an attached garage part of any building code? It would seem like a good idea.

Well, you asked. This is not a theoretical exercise for me, I’ve been a paid professional firefighter for decades, received thousands of hours of training, and personally seen the results first hand dozens of times.

It is beyond a shadow of a doubt better to have the door closed. You will find no relevant or official sources that tell you to open that door or ANY door in case of a fire unless it’s directly for you to evacuate out of, and even in that case most will say to close the door behind you if you can.

Any skilled firefighter can take down a residential garage door. We’re trained to do exactly that and they come down easier and faster than you’d think. Firefighters also love breaking stuff and we are quite adept at it.

In the case of a small fire, assuming the door doesn’t just function as normal (we can push the button too), there are several techniques that allow the door to be opened and not cut or pulled down. I won’t go into them because they can also be used to easily enter a closed garage.

And I will say that I have been on dozens and dozen of garage fires, from minor incidents that took a few gallons of water to extinguish to fully engulfed garages that had extended into the homes and caused total losses. I have never arrived at a garage fire with the garage door open before we got there that wasn’t fully engulfed in fire.

As for the smoke detector, they usually aren’t required by code in areas that are not considered living space. So usually not required by code to have one in a garage, but fire code varies so it depends on your municipality, state, country, etc.

 

[Righty Tighty]

Listen to @72bluNblu, he knows what he's talking about.

The same principle applies for fires inside the home, as well. Closed doors are surprisingly effective at preventing fire spread, which, conversely, is why it's wise to sleep with your bedroom door closed.

 

[Super-Cuda]

It just seems to me that you're balancing a marginally more robust fire for a few minutes vs real initial accessibility to fight it when you have to deal with, say, a 16 ft door, 2 inch insulated metal-clad door with structual beams to cut through.

If the fire happens to be in the space directly under the door, then the door being open can shield the ceiling from direct fire exposure.

Bit of a side topic, but is having a smoke detector in an attached garage part of any building code? It would seem like a good idea.

You asked for a professional firefighter's opinion and you now have one.

I would suggest following it if the need arises.

Smoke detectors, especially Carbon monoxide detectors in a garage are a great idea.

 

[ProjectBazza]

Well, you asked. This is not a theoretical exercise for me, I’ve been a paid professional firefighter for decades, received thousands of hours of training, and personally seen the results first hand dozens of times.

It is beyond a shadow of a doubt better to have the door closed. You will find no relevant or official sources that tell you to open that door or ANY door in case of a fire unless it’s directly for you to evacuate out of, and even in that case most will say to close the door behind you if you can.

Any skilled firefighter can take down a residential garage door. We’re trained to do exactly that and they come down easier and faster than you’d think. Firefighters also love breaking stuff and we are quite adept at it.

In the case of a small fire, assuming the door doesn’t just function as normal (we can push the button too), there are several techniques that allow the door to be opened and not cut or pulled down. I won’t go into them because they can also be used to easily enter a closed garage.

And I will say that I have been on dozens and dozen of garage fires, from minor incidents that took a few gallons of water to extinguish to fully engulfed garages that had extended into the homes and caused total losses. I have never arrived at a garage fire with the garage door open before we got there that wasn’t fully engulfed in fire.

As for the smoke detector, they usually aren’t required by code in areas that are not considered living space. So usually not required by code to have one in a garage, but fire code varies so it depends on your municipality, state, country, etc.

Interesting. My sister drives a Mach-e Mustang, and when they come here for Christmas they always ask to park it in the garage so they can plug it in overnight to charge. Now I’m ok with her Ford being in the garage, but I wouldn’t let a Tesla park in there. Seriously.

Anyway, I have given some thought to installing a wired/interconnected smoke alarm out in the garage, but we live in Minnesota, and I’m curious as to your thoughts regarding a smoke detectors ability to operate during our cold winter temperatures.

 

[72bluNblu]

Interesting. My sister drives a Mach-e Mustang, and when they come here for Christmas they always ask to park it in the garage so they can plug it in overnight to charge. Now I’m ok with her Ford being in the garage, but I wouldn’t let a Tesla park in there. Seriously.

Anyway, I have given some thought to installing a wired/interconnected smoke alarm out in the garage, but we live in Minnesota, and I’m curious as to your thoughts regarding a smoke detectors ability to operate during our cold winter temperatures.

Honestly, there are so many different types and models out there that I couldn't advise you on that beyond the operating instructions for the smoke alarm you want to use. The instructions should list the lower and upper operating temperatures, as well as any requirements for the environment (interior smoke alarms and industrial smoke alarms for areas with automotive work are frequently different).

Garages in general are a tough place for many of them, particulate matter tends to foul the sensor and if the garage isn't finished (no sheetrock) most will need to be mounted near the peak, otherwise the smoke can bank down to the level of the smoke alarm before detection. So my advice would be that whatever smoke alarm you do use in the garage will probably have a shorter lifespan than if it were used inside a house, especially if your garage does double duty as a shop with welding, grinding etc.

As for the original topic, I was literally on a garage fire last week where all of the doors remained closed until our arrival. It was a detached garage used for automotive work, and it's likely (but not 100%) that the fire was started by charging batteries for power tools. The fire was very hot at one point, but, because everything stayed closed the fire was actually quite banked down when we arrived - it had basically choked itself out. The contents were mostly a loss but it didn't extend anywhere else, and it was pretty easy to extinguish when we got there. We did cut the door, but that happened simultaneously as other firefighting operations (I was putting water on the fire while that was going on for better access).

Anyway, the take home would be that a smoke alarm in that detached garage might have alerted folks earlier (it was finished with sheetrock inside and remained contained in that), and that having a timer on your outlets for charging lithium batteries is a good investment so they're not left to charge indefinitely. Electric cars are a different story, but their charging systems should have multiple fail safes beyond what a general lithium battery charger for a hand tool has.

 

[Super-Cuda]

Interesting. My sister drives a Mach-e Mustang, and when they come here for Christmas they always ask to park it in the garage so they can plug it in overnight to charge. Now I’m ok with her Ford being in the garage, but I wouldn’t let a Tesla park in there. Seriously.

Anyway, I have given some thought to installing a wired/interconnected smoke alarm out in the garage, but we live in Minnesota, and I’m curious as to your thoughts regarding a smoke detectors ability to operate during our cold winter temperatures.

I'm living in a very harsh winter climate and detectors work fine.

I am referring to a finished in house garage, not a commercial structure.

Like any detector, check the batteries occasionally and you will be good to go.

 

[ProjectBazza]

I'm living in a very harsh winter climate and detectors work fine.

Like any detector, check the batteries occasional and you will be good to go.

All of our smoke detectors (the ones in the house) are hard-wired, so I'd probably do the same in the garage and connect it into the house system.

 

[dukeboy440]

It just seems to me that you're balancing a marginally more robust fire for a few minutes vs real initial accessibility to fight it when you have to deal with, say, a 16 ft door, 2 inch insulated metal-clad door with structual beams to cut through.

If the fire happens to be in the space directly under the door, then the door being open can shield the ceiling from direct fire exposure.

Bit of a side topic, but is having a smoke detector in an attached garage part of any building code? It would seem like a good idea.

Yes, per the International residential code. All rooms. Wired together

Now is it enforced? Depends on your locale

 

[dukeboy440]

Honestly, there are so many different types and models out there that I couldn't advise you on that beyond the operating instructions for the smoke alarm you want to use. The instructions should list the lower and upper operating temperatures, as well as any requirements for the environment (interior smoke alarms and industrial smoke alarms for areas with automotive work are frequently different).

Garages in general are a tough place for many of them, particulate matter tends to foul the sensor and if the garage isn't finished (no sheetrock) most will need to be mounted near the peak, otherwise the smoke can bank down to the level of the smoke alarm before detection. So my advice would be that whatever smoke alarm you do use in the garage will probably have a shorter lifespan than if it were used inside a house, especially if your garage does double duty as a shop with welding, grinding etc.

As for the original topic, I was literally on a garage fire last week where all of the doors remained closed until our arrival. It was a detached garage used for automotive work, and it's likely (but not 100%) that the fire was started by charging batteries for power tools. The fire was very hot at one point, but, because everything stayed closed the fire was actually quite banked down when we arrived - it had basically choked itself out. The contents were mostly a loss but it didn't extend anywhere else, and it was pretty easy to extinguish when we got there. We did cut the door, but that happened simultaneously as other firefighting operations (I was putting water on the fire while that was going on for better access).

Anyway, the take home would be that a smoke alarm in that detached garage might have alerted folks earlier (it was finished with sheetrock inside and remained contained in that), and that having a timer on your outlets for charging lithium batteries is a good investment so they're not left to charge indefinitely. Electric cars are a different story, but their charging systems should have multiple fail safes beyond what a general lithium battery charger for a hand tool has.

I keep reading about how lithium batteries in power tools keep causing fires while charging. Wonder if they should be stored in a fire rated cabinet?

 

[dukeboy440]

Well, you asked. This is not a theoretical exercise for me, I’ve been a paid professional firefighter for decades, received thousands of hours of training, and personally seen the results first hand dozens of times.

It is beyond a shadow of a doubt better to have the door closed. You will find no relevant or official sources that tell you to open that door or ANY door in case of a fire unless it’s directly for you to evacuate out of, and even in that case most will say to close the door behind you if you can.

Any skilled firefighter can take down a residential garage door. We’re trained to do exactly that and they come down easier and faster than you’d think. Firefighters also love breaking stuff and we are quite adept at it.

In the case of a small fire, assuming the door doesn’t just function as normal (we can push the button too), there are several techniques that allow the door to be opened and not cut or pulled down. I won’t go into them because they can also be used to easily enter a closed garage.

And I will say that I have been on dozens and dozen of garage fires, from minor incidents that took a few gallons of water to extinguish to fully engulfed garages that had extended into the homes and caused total losses. I have never arrived at a garage fire with the garage door open before we got there that wasn’t fully engulfed in fire.

As for the smoke detector, they usually aren’t required by code in areas that are not considered living space. So usually not required by code to have one in a garage, but fire code varies so it depends on your municipality, state, country, etc.

the latest international residential code calls out a heat detector as a standard but it’s not been fully adopted across the US yet.

 

[Righty Tighty]

You still need to replace your batteries, twice a year, even if the detector is hard-wired. The battery is there in case of a power outage.

And as mentioned above, particulates on the sensor can foul the detector, so it's good practice to blow them out occasionally. The air-in-a-can dusters for keyboards are great for this. We usually recommend once a month if you're in a dusty environment, or at a minimum, every time you change the battery.

 

[dukeboy440]

You still need to replace your batteries, twice a year, even if the detector is hard-wired. The battery is there in case of a power outage.

And as mentioned above, particulates on the sensor can foul the detector, so it's good practice to blow them out occasionally. The air-in-a-can dusters for keyboards are great for this. We usually recommend once a month if you're in a dusty environment, or at a minimum, every time you change the battery.

I do mine on Easter and Halloween. Not sure why, but thats my benchmark

 

[Righty Tighty]

That's perfect.

We suggest the same to our homeowners - just pick two dates six months apart that you'll remember. A lot of times we'll suggest New Year's Day and 4th of July, but obviously any date works.