Why fire buckets are conical - 8 versions

Passing by a fire shield, many people notice a strange feature: fire buckets have a cone shape. The first explanation that comes to mind is “so as not to be stolen.” Indeed, the fire bucket is unstable and absolutely useless in the household. But there are other explanations.

Why is a fire bucket cone-shaped?

They never explain the strange shape of the fire equipment. There are at least 8 versions. Among them there are both logical and delusional ones. For example:

• Firefighters use cone buckets to celebrate the New Year. There is a story that the role of Santa Claus among firefighters is played by the person responsible for safety. Allegedly, on the eve of the holiday, he puts a red cone on his head and uses a hook instead of a staff.
• Cone-shaped buckets help put out fires faster. This is explained by the fact that people involved in extinguishing a fire cannot sit on it and have a “smoke break”. And standing and relaxing, holding a vessel suspended by an impressive weight, is still a pleasure. Therefore, everyone extinguishes the fire as coordinatedly and quickly as possible.
• Cone-shaped buckets came to us from antiquity. There is a version that the idea of ​​​​using a conical vessel to extinguish fire was borrowed from the English fleet. Sailors made water bags from canvas. The containers were made using one single seam.

In fact, the story of the English sailors is the same myth as the other two versions voiced above.Conical buckets first appeared in America at the beginning of the 20th century. They were used for a short time on the railway.

In Russia, fire buckets in the shape of a cone began to be used during the Soviet Union during the time of Chkalov. At that time, the conical shape best solved the administrative and technical problems of providing tools to people who found themselves near a fire. They were made quickly and simply by twisting a piece of tin.

Answer to the question

Conical fire buckets are widely used in Russia and the former CIS countries. But no one can reliably say why they are like this. The documents do not mention cone shapes. The all-Russian classifier OKPD 2 is silent about special requirements. And even the answers of firefighters sometimes differ. All that remains is to rely only on common sense and logic.

A fire bucket in the shape of a cone has a number of advantages:

• Convenient to use. To help the stream of water fly out over a greater distance, when extinguishing a fire, hold the bucket by the bottom with your other hand. The conical shape greatly simplifies the task. Wet bulky gloves do not slip off. And a conical bucket sinks easily, unlike a flat-bottomed one. Thanks to its special shape, it practically does not hit your legs when running. Working with a special tool saves rescuers time and effort.
• Has additional functions. The pointed end of the cone can be used to loosen the sand (a fire can be extinguished not only with water). And in winter, break the edge of ice that forms on reservoirs.
• Durable. As practice shows, a conical vessel is most resistant to mechanical damage. If you drop it from a height, the bottom will not fly off, and the number of dents will be minimal.
• Cost-effective. A conical bucket costs much less than a regular one.Less material is consumed in its production. And the production method is less labor-intensive: the vessel is twisted from a piece of tin. There is no need to solder the bottom and make additional calculations.
• Not suitable for domestic use. In the household, products with a conical bottom are useless: they cannot collect garbage, collect water, wash the floor, or store grain. Thus, the possibility of theft of equipment from the fire shield is minimized.

A few decades ago, fire buckets were used much more often than they are today. If it was impossible to approach the fire, firefighters threw them on a rope. Water or sand was guaranteed to pour out (scatter). Unlike a flat-bottomed bucket, a conical one always turns over.

The conical bucket is a brilliant invention. It is more functional than a flat-bottomed bucket, but it is simple to manufacture, cheap and unclaimed by thieves. But it should be noted that today the product has lost its relevance. At new facilities, fire extinguishers, hydrants are placed, and automatic fire extinguishing systems are installed, which are much more effective. Fire shields are located where they were placed according to the old design. It is likely that they will soon disappear completely.