Firefighters from Legrad: Fire Blanket Costs Up to 50 Euros
The Voluntary Fire Department in Legrad has received a new modern vehicle, and experienced firefighters are sharing key safety tips for households, especially in the kitchen.
The Voluntary Fire Department in Legrad has received a new modern vehicle, and experienced firefighters are sharing key safety tips for households, especially in the kitchen.
After more than three decades of relying on outdated equipment, the Voluntary Fire Department (VFD) Legrad received a significant technological boost at the beginning of the year. The old attack vehicle, an Opel Blitz from 1972, has been retired, replaced by a modern Opel Movano. But besides unveiling the new vehicle, the seasoned firefighters of Legrad shared a series of tips on August 11, 2026, with Podravski list that could save households thousands of euros and save lives.
Vladimir Piškor, honorary president of VFD Legrad, highlighted the vast difference in capabilities that the new vehicle brings. "The Opel Movano is far more advanced technologically; we have more options for extinguishing fires with various agents. It covers all fire classes, is designed for fighting fires in enclosed and open spaces, and the vehicle carries a driver and two firefighters," said Piškor.
At the heart of the new vehicle is a high-pressure pump that uses 37 liters of water per minute. It is equipped for extinguishing with water and foam, for flammable liquids and gases, and also carries a 50-kilogram CO2 cylinder for interior interventions, thereby avoiding additional property damage. Josip Kefelja, commander of VFD Legrad and commander of the Firefighting Community of the Municipality of Legrad, added that a key advantage is that the vehicle does not require a C-category driver's license, but only a B-category license, which is crucial in smaller communities where it is difficult to secure enough drivers for large fire trucks.
From the new vehicle, the firefighters singled out one piece of equipment that, in their opinion, should be standard in every home. It is a fire blanket, which costs between 15 and 50 euros in retail chains. Piškor explains that it is ideal for the most common household accidents, when oil or grease on the stove ignites in a moment of inattention.
"You cover the entire stove, press down with your hands, and it will go out because the air supply is cut off. It happens that people cause more damage themselves than would have occurred, by taking a pot of water and pouring it over ignited oil. That will splatter everywhere, and then you don't have a fire in one pan, but a fire in the whole kitchen, and then even a blanket won't help," Piškor warned for Podravski list.
He thus emphasized the fatal mistake that many instinctively make, which can turn a small flame in a pan into a fire that engulfs the entire room.
He also issued an equally firm warning to homeowners facing a chimney fire. He stressed that using water in that situation is strictly forbidden and extremely dangerous.
"Using water to extinguish a chimney fire is not just forbidden, it's forbidden five times over-don't even try it, because putting out a chimney fire with water will send your chimney to the third neighbor's house. When you pour water into a chimney where temperatures are 400 degrees or more, the water instantly turns to steam and expands in volume, creating high pressure in the chimney, which then blows apart and scatters everywhere," Piškor explained.
This dramatic steam explosion, as he described, can destroy the chimney and seriously damage the building, as well as endanger people nearby.
With photos and video shot by Nikola Wolf, the story of VFD Legrad's new vehicle also became an opportunity to educate the public. In half a century, as views on fires have changed, the key message remains simple: a small investment in a fire blanket and knowing when not to use water can prevent enormous damage.
