Glass Bulb Fire Extinguisher
Date1941
Credit LineGift of George Hayman, London, Ontario, 1971
Object number1971.028.001
Label TextThis is a 1940s Guard-X automatic alarm fire extinguisher. Glass fire grenades were introduced in the 1800s. This design, with its sealed opening, was introduced in the 1910s. When first introduced, the glass bulb would have been thrown at the base of a fire. Later mechanisms were developed which permitted it to deploy automatically if a fire developed. The mechanism was triggered by heat. At first, the liquid, often salt water, in the clear glass often had a blue or red coloring agent. Later, a fire suppression chemical was added to the liquid, often carbon tetrachloride, also called tetrachloromethane. This is a dangerous substance, causing illness if inhaled, ingested or absorbed.
NameExtinguisher, Fire