Fire! The Scariest Word EVER! Fire BAD!

Unless you are new here, you know I live on a mountain just outside of Sandpoint, Idaho. Fire is the word that terrifies me the most. There is one road serving our little piece of heaven. One windy dirt road, not a fast road. No, it’s a pot-holed, privately maintained road.

Our home, circled in blue, is surrounded by trees: tons, and TONS of trees.

I’m Not Kidding When I Say FIRE BAD!

Fire safety is something that I hadn’t really THOUGHT about before moving here. Living in Southern California and having a fire station 1 mile away, pffftttt what’s to stress over? Yes, we kept a fire extinguisher in the kitchen. NOT just because I announced to the family, ‘dinner’s ready’ with a smoke-filled room. But, because I AM a responsible parent. I taught my children about fire safety. We even practiced fire drills. SEE??? I was a RESPONSIBLE parent. Thankfully, we never had any accidents.

Here? Well, I am worried. It’s a scary world out there. People start fires just to watch ’em burn. (Seriously, WHAT is WRONG with PEOPLE?!)

According to Sandpoint, Idaho Wildfire Map

There are 4,032 properties properties in Sandpoint that have some risk of being affected by wildfire over the next 30 years. This represents 98% of all properties in Sandpoint.

In addition to damaging properties, wildfire can also cut off access to utilities, emergency services, impact evacuation routes, and may impact the overall economic well-being of an area.

Now, I have just scared myself into the fetal position. I am thrilled to announce I have a fire extinguisher on every floor of the house. I have one underneath my laser cutting machine. I have one in the kitchen ALTHOUGH! I no longer announce dinner in a room filled with smoke. I HAVE announced “I BUILT A FIRE in the wood-burning stove” several times. So, a smoke detector now sits to the side of that stove as well.

Where I HADN’T Thought Of Adding A Stove?

In my car! Hello!?? ONE road people! ONE!! I would be ever so smart to have an extinguisher in the car with me.

After watching this video. Did you know that fire extinguishers are good for 10 years? Have you ever had to use a fire extinguisher? I never have. It was a good ‘how-to’ video. What else have I learned from OUGIST? Traditional extinguishers demand calm and precision—luxuries ordinary people do not have during a real fire.

Research shows that when panic sets in, human instinct is to grip the handle tighter, which ironically jams the safety pin exactly when you need it most. At OUGIST, we are changing this narrative entirely. Our vision is to build North America’s leading home fire safety brand, dedicated exclusively to civilian-grade protection. We eliminated the structural flaw of traditional designs with an intuitive, pull-to-activate mechanism. It remains completely unaffected by grip strength, working flawlessly under human stress.

OUGIST safety tools as essential, natural, and ubiquitous in every kitchen, garage, and apartment as a smoke detector.

EASY TO USE WITHOUT TRAINING:Patented handle design removes the safety pin—no twisting, no fiddling. This 2.5lb fire extinguisher is ideal for homes, allowing anyone from teens to seniors to act fast without needing instructions.

True safety shouldn’t be a struggle—it is not for heroic moments, but for real life.

So? Do YOU know where your fire extinguisher is? Is it ready to use in an emergency? When was the last time YOU checked it??

Thanks to a comment from Berrie, did you know that you can take your fire extinguisher to the fire department to give another 10 years of life?? I had no idea.

Fire stations employ some absolutely amazing people. For instance, drive over and ask them to check if your child’s car seat is installed correctly. I had thought I had installed Alice’s car seat a zillion years ago, nope. I had not. WIthin minutes the car seat was installed correctly. Amazing people over at your local fire station.