Every home should have one, and depending on the size of your home, perhaps more than one. One of the most common kinds of natural or man made disasters is, in fact, the household fire. Electrical fires, cooking fires, and other kinds of accidental fires, are all causes of injury and death. But you can’t just go out and buy a fire extinguisher and call it good. Fire extinguishers come in a variety of sizes and uses, and using the wrong extinguisher can actually make things worse. So today, we’re going to dive into the different classes of fire extinguishers, how to use them, and when to use them. Because playing with fire is hot, and dying in fire just isn’t cool.
Fire Extinguisher Classes and Uses
There are five classes of fire extinguishers, and each serves a different purpose. The classes are ordered A, B, C, D, and K respectively, and we’re going to split them up and go into detail about what kinds of methods will be used to extinguish each fire.
Class A – Ordinary combustibles
- Class A fires are made of common materials, like wood, paper, and trash.
- Wet Mist, Wet Chemical, Dry Chemical, and Water/Foam extinguishers can all be used to extinguish Class A fires.
Class B – Flammable Liquids and Gasses
- Gasoline, paint, petroleum oil and similar fluids make up Class B fires.
- Does not include cooking grease.
- Cartridge Operated Dry Chem, Clean Agent, Dry Chem, and CO2 extinguishers can all be used on a Class B Fire.
Class C – Electrical Equipment
- Class C consists of Motors, Appliances, Power Outlets, and other things with active current.
- CO2, Dry Chem, Clean Agent, Water Mist, And Cartridge Operated Dry Chem can all be applied to a Class C fire.
Class D – Combustable Metals
- Sodium, Aluminum, Magnesium, and other combustible metals make up Class D fires.
- Dry Powder fire extinguishers only!
Class K – Kitchen Fires
- Grease and oil are K class fires
- Wet Chem only.
Kinds Of Fire Extinguishers
So we’ve covered the different fire extinguishers classes, and now we’re going to cover the different kinds of fire extinguishers. Some fire extinguishers can be used for different fire classes, and some are limited to one.
- Water and Foam – these extinguishers use water or foam to reduce the heat of a fire, therefore extinguishing it. These can only be used with a Class A fire. Using on a class be may cause the flammable fluid to spread, and a Class C will cause an electrocution hazard.
- Carbon Dioxide (CO2) – These extinguishers can be used on B and C fires, but are ineffective on Class A. They remove Oxygen and Heat elements from a fire to extinguish it.
- Dry Chemical – These extinguishers are the most common, working on A, B, and C class fires. It stops the chemical reaction in A class fires by creating a barrier between fuel and oxygen, and stopping the chemical reactions in B and C class fires.
- Wet Chemical – A new agent that removes the heat from a fire, then creates a barrier between the Oxygen and Fuel Elements. These were designed as Class K extinguishers for deep fryers and other kitchen equipment.
- Clean Agent – Clean Agent fire extinguishers include halon agents and newer less ozone depleting halocarbon agents that reduce heat and stop the chemical reactions of a fire. Will work on Class A, B, and C fires, but may not rate for A1 fires due to size constraints.
- Dry Powder – Dry powder extinguishers are similar to dry chemical, but can ONLY be used on class D fires.
- Water Mist – These extinguishers are an alternative to clean agent extinguishers, and are used for Class A fires. They are safe for Class C fires as well.
- Cartridge Operated Dry Chem – Consisting of Multipurpose or Ordinary Dry Chemicals. Multipurpose dry Chem will work on a Class A, B, or C fire. Ordinary chemical extinguishers will only work on B or C class fires.
How to Operate A Fire Extinguisher
Using a fire extinguisher seems like the easy part now, doesn’t it? But just in case you don’t know, let’s go ahead and explain it. First, you’ll need to pull the pin. It’s kind of like a grenade, right? Next, aim it at the fire in question, specifically at the base of the fire. This is where the fuel is, so you want to absolutely BLANKET the base of the flame. Squeeze the lever, and sweep from side to side at the base of the fire. The goal here is one of three things:
- Stop the chemical reactions that cause the fire.
- Stop the oxygen from reaching the fuel.
- Reduce the temperature of the fire to extinguish it.
If you’re still having a hard time with this, just think PASS. That’s
P – Pull the pin
A – Aim at your target
S – Squeeze the trigger!
S – Sweep the base.
Maintenance and Things of Note.
Last but not least, fire extinguishers MUST be maintained. It’s a good general practice to check them for damage every two or three months, and always make sure you get them hydrostatic tested by the required date. If you use your extinguisher, always make sure to get it tested, even if only using a small amount. A used extinguisher can fail to hold charge, and the next time you need it, it may not function.
Class A and B extinguishers have a numerical rating for how large a fire they can handle.
Never, ever use a fire extinguisher on something it’s not rated for. Using the wrong kind of fire extinguisher may lead to a chemical reaction and a big kaboom. And as much as I love explosions on TV, I think we all want to avoid being detonated in real life.
Guys, as always, take care.
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