Fire Sand Bucket

A fire sand bucket or fire bucket is a steel bucket filled with sand which is used to put out fires. Typically, fire buckets are painted bright red and have the word 'Fire' stencilled on them in white lettering. They are placed in prominent positions in rooms or corridors. They are a low-technology method of fighting small fires. The main advantages of fire buckets are that they are cheap, reliable and easy to use. The fire buckets are usually made round bottom so that they cannot be used for other purposes. Fire buckets are hung on fire bucket stands.

Fire buckets are often kept next to ovens, barbecues, and in government accommodation such as army barrack blocks. They are also commonly found in hyperbaric chambers. Because oil fires are resistant to water, a fire sand bucket is used. In order to extinguish the fire, the sand in the bucket is dumped on the fire to starve it of the oxygen it needs to stay alight. This method of fighting liquid fires has generally been replaced by modern foaming agents.

The sand from a fire bucket can also be used to absorb spills of flammable liquids and render them less dangerous, by reducing the risk of ignition and explosion. Fire buckets are often provided at petrol filling stations to absorb any small fuel spills. The fire bucket is also used as a percussion instrument by Eugene Hütz, the lead singer of the gypsy punk band Gogol Bordello.