Forklift Fire Blanket

Lift Truck and Pallet Jack Containment — Manufactured in the U.S.A.

Electric lift trucks have become one of the most common lithium-ion fire risks in a warehouse, and one of the least planned for. A forklift or pallet jack that enters thermal runaway is usually sitting in the middle of the operation — near racking, near inventory, often on charge and unattended overnight. The battery generates its own oxygen, resists extinguishing agents, and can reignite hours after the flames appear to be out.

The Steel Guard Forklift Fire Blanket is sized to cover the entire machine, contain the fire, and block radiant heat from reaching the racking and product around it. It is cut and sewn in our South Holland, Illinois plant from Draft-Tex™ fabric, built on Newtex Z-Block® silicone-coated fiberglass, and constructed to the design and test parameters of DIN SPEC 91489:2024-11 — the European technical specification for lithium-ion fire blankets, which defines an electrically propelled vehicle in terms that include electric lift trucks. Part of our battery fire protection line.

Temperature Performance

We publish both figures, clearly labeled, and recommend you ask every supplier for the same two:

• 1,800°F (982°C) continuous — the sustained working rating of the Draft-Tex™ fabric
• 2,700°F intermittent — short-duration flash exposure
• Thermal test basis: benchmarked to the DIN SPEC 91489 cycle — direct flame to 1,832°F (1,000°C), cycling for 23 minutes

Sized to Your Equipment

The blanket must cover the truck completely and lie flat on the floor at least 20 inches (0.5 m) past it on every side — that ground overlap is what starves the fire and blocks radiant heat from reaching your racking. Class III equipment (electric pallet jacks, walkie stackers, reach trucks, and order pickers) and Class I and IV counterbalance forklifts require different coverage, and telehandlers, tuggers, and AGVs frequently require neither standard size.

Because we are the manufacturer, we build to your equipment. Send us the make and model or the overall dimensions and we will size the blanket to it. Facilities running a mixed fleet often standardize on a single larger size across all charging stations rather than stocking two — we will tell you which approach fits your operation.

Reusable — Which Matters More at This Size

Most forklift-sized blankets sold in the United States are single-use imports: one deployment, whether a live event or a training exercise, and the blanket is scrap. At this size that distinction compounds quickly. Steel Guard blankets are heavy-duty reusable construction — deployed in drills, trained on, inspected, cleaned, refolded, and returned to service throughout their life. A blanket is retired only after exposure to an actual fire, because the coating in the contact zone sacrifices itself to protect the glass beneath. For any operation that runs annual fire drills, a reusable blanket pays for itself against a disposable in the first training cycle.

Built for Two-Person Deployment

A blanket this size is only useful if two people can deploy it under stress. Every deployment loop is red for identification in heavy smoke. Corner loops are supplemented with side-edge loops so no grab point is more than about six feet apart, and each loop is a 2-inch reinforced strap on a backed doubler built to a 125 kg (275 lb) shock load. Deployment is a controlled drag — two people take the leading corners and pull the blanket over the truck while side crews walk alongside, so nobody reaches across the leading edge.

Where These Are Used

Warehouses and distribution centers · Third-party logistics operations · Manufacturing plants · Cold storage facilities · Food and beverage distribution · Battery charging and changing rooms · Automotive and heavy equipment plants · Ports and intermodal facilities · Retail distribution · Municipal and government warehouses

Manufactured in the U.S.A. — Built to Order

Imported forklift blankets are stocked in limited quantities in the United States, with backorders running as long as three months and popular sizes frequently out of stock — workable for a single unit, impossible for a multi-site rollout. Because we manufacture domestically, production runs including fleet and distributor quantities are produced in two to three weeks. There is no container, no customs, and no queue. We also offer private label and OEM programs for material handling and safety distributors who want their own branding.

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