Fire Gear Articles

Types of Fire Extinguishers- There are a few main types of fire extinguishers and it is very important to know them. Best Fire Gear has written this tutorial on the different types of fire extinguishers so you can be prepared if you ever encounter a fire.

Experiencing a fire is one of the worst things that can happen to a person. However, in certain fires knowing what to do and what tools to use, you can limit the damage of a fire. One of the best things to understand is the different types of fire extinguishers. Using the correct type of fire extinguisher will give you a better chance of extinguishing the fire. In the United States there are five main types of fire extinguishers. Each type is designed to combat a different type of fire. The different types of fire extinguishers are designated by different colored symbols and pictures.

Before Best Fire Gear can really get into the different types of fire extinguishers, you must first understand the different types of fires or also known as the classes of fire. Below are the most common types of fires that you will encounter.

• Class A: Ordinary combustibles; wood, cloth, rubber, plastics
• Class B: Flammable liquids; gas, oils, paint, lacquer, tar
• Class C: Electrical Equipment
• Class D: Combustible metals; sodium, titanium, magnesium, potassium, steel
• Class K: Cooking oil or fat

Now that you have a basic understanding of the different classes of fires, you will be able to understand the different types of fire extinguishers better. As Best Fire Gear mentioned earlier, in the United States the different types of fire extinguishers are designated by colored symbols and pictures. In other parts of the world, they are simply designed by different colored tanks.

• Green Triangle / Garbage can and wood pile burning- This type of fire extinguisher is used on Class A fires.
• Red Square / Fuel container and burning puddle- This type of fire extinguisher is used on Class B fires.
• Blue Circle / Electric plug and burning outlet- This type of fire extinguisher is used on Class C fires.
• Yellow Decagon / Burning Gear and Bearing- This type of fire extinguisher is used on Class D fires.
• Black Hexagon / Pan burning- This type of fire extinguisher is used on Class K fires.

It is possible to have some fire extinguishers that bear multiple symbols on it. These are considered to be utility fire extinguishers and can be used on multiple types of fires. It is important to only use the fire extinguisher on the class of fire that it is recommended for. Using fire extinguishers on the wrong types of fires can be deadly!

As everybody knows, fire extinguishers dispense some type of extinguishing agent. There are five main extinguishing agents that are used in fire extinguishers; Dry Chemical, Halon, Water, Foam, and Carbon Dioxide.

• Dry Chemical- Dry Chemical extinguishers are most commonly seen in utility fire extinguishers, but there are specific dry chemicals for specific classes of fire. These types of fire extinguishers contain an extinguishing agent and uses a compressed, non-flammable gas as a propellant. The most popular dry chemical agent is ammonium phosphate. Ammonium phosphate can be used on Class A, B, and C fires.
• Halon- Halon extinguishers contain a gas that interrupts the chemical reaction that takes place when fuels burn. Halon fire extinguishers leave very little residue after the fire is out, thus the clean up is light. The downfall to Halon extinguishers is that they only have a range of 6-10 feet. Halon fire extinguishers can be used on Class B and C fires.
• Water- Water fire extinguishers obviously contain water and a compressed gas. It is very important that you only used water fire extinguishers on Class A fires. In fact, Best Fire Gear recommends for the average person to not even own a water fire extinguisher. The potential hazards these create if you use it on the wrong type of fire aren't worth owning one.
• Foam- Foam fire extinguishers are mainly used on Class A and B fires. There are several different types of foam that is put in the extinguishers.
• Carbon Dioxide (CO2) - Carbon Dioxide fire extinguishers are most effective on Class B and C fires. Since the gas disperses quickly, these extinguishers are only effective from 3 to 8 feet. It is possible to use CO2 fire extinguishers on a burning person, but know that it can cause frostbite because of hold cold it is.

Best Fire Gear hopes that you are better educated now after reading our tutorial on the different types fire extinguishers. While we didn't really cover how to use a fire extinguisher, there is a short acronym that will help you.

PASS

P- Pull the pin out

A- Aim at the base of the fire

S- Squeeze the trigger

S- Sweep the nozzle back and forth