Fire Extinguishers

The information contained in this page is intended for homeowners of single-family dwellings, and not for rental, commercial or industrial establishments. Lessors or businesses who wish to learn more about portable, automated and special extinguishers and agents for their establishments should contact a fire extinguisher equipment supplier or a fire protection consultant. Homeowners, lessors and business owners should always check for any local or national laws regarding the requirements for portable fire extinguishers in their occupancy.

Portable fire extinguishers can be an important part of a comprehensive home fire plan, providing that an appropriate type of extinguisher has been selected, it is placed and maintained properly, the home owner fully understands how to safely use it, and that the fire attempting to be extinguished and the associated conditions are manageable for both the extinguisher and the operator. You must always remember that:

THE SAFEST AND PRUDENT COURSE OF ACTION IS TO ENACT YOUR FIRE ESCAPE PLAN, EVACUATE THE HOME, CLOSE ALL DOORS BEHIND YOU, PROCEED TO YOUR DESIGNATING PLACE OF MEETING AND CALL THE FIRE DEPARTMENT.

The presence of a portable fire extinguisher in no way guarantees that the operator will be able to effectively and safely extinguish any fire which they may encounter, even one's which seem manageable. Portable extinguishers are meant to suppress small fires still in their incipient stage but once a fire starts to grow beyond the simple waste basket or cooking grease fire, you may be placing yourself at considerable risk by attempting extinguishment.

It is helpful to have a basic understanding of fire science when choosing the proper type of extinguisher for your needs, and to be able to effectively use one in an emergency situation. The fire triangle has given way to the fire tetrahedron, as it is a more accurate representation of the process of combustion. For combustion to occur and to continue, a fuel, heat, an oxidizing agent such as oxygen, and a self-sustaining chemical reaction between them must be present. An extinguisher is designed to interrupt these associations and effectively suppress the fire. Remove one or more of these components and combustion will not occur or cease to continue.

While the process of combustion may be virtually the same regardless of what type of material is burning, persons attempting to extinguish a fire must recognize that effective extinguishment is dependant on selecting the proper extinguisher for the given situation. Failure to do so could result in injury and/or unintentional spread of the fire. While one type of extinguisher may be very effective in extinguishing a fire in a waste basket, using it on your computer might get you killed.

There are several different agents on the market, as they are designed to interrupt the fire tetrahedron in different ways depending upon what type of material, or fuel, that is burning. The three main classes that the home owner should be concerned with are Class A, B and C extinguishers. Class D extinguishers are meant for flammable metals and these types of fires are beyond the scope of safety for the average home owner. Class K extinguishers are relatively new to the market and are designed for commercial and industrial applications.


	Alpha-geometric method of identifying what classes of fire an extinguisher is designed for. An extinguisher marked in this manner, such as a Multi-Purpose extinguisher, would be effective on all three classes of common fire.

Class A is a fire of ordinary combustible materials such as wood, paper, fabric and plastic, just to name a few. An extinguisher with Class A capability could be used to extinguish fires in waste cans, on drapes and carpet, furniture and a pile of newspapers.

Class B fires involve flammable and combustible liquids and gases such as gasoline, kerosene, mineral spirits and propane. An extinguisher with Class B capability could be use to extinguish a fire on top of the stove.

Class C fires involve energized electrical equipment. The danger with these fires is the potential for electrocution of the extinguisher operator should the agent be conductive. An extinguisher with Class C capability has non-conductive agents and could be used to extinguish fires in electrical motors, televisions, computers and electrical outlets.


Modern pictograph method of marking fire extinguishers. An extinguisher marked in this manner would be intended for Class B & C fires only.

As expected, portable fire extinguishers come in many sizes containing numerous agents that will work on one or more classes of fires. Some extinguishers are advertised as being for specific purposes such as the kitchen or garage. Does that mean they won't work in the bedroom? The question is, how does the average home owner go about picking an extinguisher?

First and foremost, only purchase a quality portable fire extinguisher that has been approved by an independent laboratory such as Factory Mutual (FM) or Underwriter's Laboratory (UL). While we may offer the following suggestions, they are by no means strict guidelines in regards to purchasing. The purchaser has the obligation to investigate this subject thoroughly, making decisions that they think are in their best interest for their situation.

The extinguisher that is most commonly recommended for household use is an ABC or Multi-Purpose extinguisher, because these can be used on just about any type of fire that might occur in the home. In an emergency situation, the last thing you want to be doing is trying to figure out if your extinguisher will work for the given situation. ABC Multi-Purpose extinguishers usually contain dry chemical (not dry powder) agents which although may make a mess when discharged, are highly effective on all three classes of fire and will not conduct electricity back to the operator.


	Hardware stores and home improvement centers usually stock a variety of portable extinguishers. Make sure you get the appropriate model for your needs.

Another advantage to ABC Multi-Purpose extinguishers is that because of their popularity, they can be found at most hardware stores, and are reasonably priced.

In regards as to how many extinguishers a home should have, the only recommendation that can be made is to have at least one extinguisher of the ABC Multi-Purpose type in your home. Certainly it doesn't hurt to have more than one extinguisher in your home should one fail to operate, and to make access to an extinguisher quicker by locating them throughout the home. You might consider placing extra extinguishers in areas of higher hazard such as the kitchen, laundry room, garage, or basement.

Bigger is not necessarily better when choosing a portable fire extinguisher for your residence, with the operative word being portable. The extinguisher should be light enough to easily carry and move around during discharge. Another pitfall of getting too large an extinguisher is the false sense of confidence an operator might receive from it.

If an operator can not effectively extinguish a fire within several seconds of discharge, the fire is beyond the scope of safety and the operator should immediately evacuate and ALLOW the fire department handle the situation.

Now that you have purchased an extinguisher, you will need to place it properly so that it is readily accessible for emergency use. While we may provide you with some general guidelines concerning the placement of your extinguisher, the homeowner must definitely always:

FULLY READ AND UNDERSTAND THE MANUFACTURER'S INSTRUCTIONS REGARDING THE PLACEMENT, MAINTENANCE AND USE OF THE FIRE EXTINGUISHER.

The amount of extinguishers you purchase for your home will to a degree dictate where you place them. Not surprisingly, most fires in the home start in the kitchen, so you will want to have an extinguisher that is quickly accessible somewhere in the vicinity. As we have said, one extinguisher near every area of hazard such as the kitchen, garage, basement, furnace room, etc. is a good rule. Another suggestion is to have one extinguisher located on every floor of your home.


Would you be able to quickly and safely retrieve this extinguisher if this clothes dryer had a fire?

Quick accessibility is the key when placing any extinguishers. It might be tempting to locate them out of sight for aesthetic sake, but resist the temptation to do so. Putting them in closets, underneath sinks behind clutter, and behind drapes are all poor choices, and can cost you precious seconds when reaching for them in an emergency.

Place them in obvious locations so that even visitors in your home know where they are located. Do not mount them too high. Make sure that every responsible person in your home can easily remove the extinguisher from its mount for use in an emergency.

Also take time to consider how accessible the extinguisher will be in relationship to a fire. For instance: a fire on a stove, in a furnace, or a clothes dryer. Do you have a clear path to the extinguisher or would you have to go passed the fire to reach it? Place them near areas of concern, but not too near that should a fire happen, you can not safely reach the extinguisher without risk of injury.

While a quality extinguisher should provide you with years of reliable protection, the homeowner will still need to perform periodic inspections to ensure the readiness of any extinguisher. In addition to the homeowner's inspections, the manufacturer or another qualified company will need to service the extinguisher per the manufacturer's instructions. While we may provide you with some general guidelines, it is imperative that the homeowner:

FULLY READ AND UNDERSTAND THE MANUFACTURER'S INSTRUCTIONS REGARDING THE PLACEMENT, MAINTENANCE AND USE OF THE FIRE EXTINGUISHER.

Failure to follow the manufacturer's instructions for the care of your extinguisher could shorten it's life span, or worse, you could find yourself with an inoperable extinguisher during an emergency.

Perform an inspection on all extinguishers every month, or as recommended by the manufacturer. It is advisable to perform them more frequently if your extinguishers are located in a shed, the garage, basement, or anywhere it is dirty, dusty, or prone to insects and rodents.

NEVER TEST FIRE YOUR EXTINGUISHER TO CHECK ITS OPERATIONAL READINESS, OR FOR PRACTICE.

If you ever discharge your extinguisher, no matter how much or how little, it must be immediately serviced by the manufacturer or another qualified company. Once an extinguisher has been discharged, even if only slightly, the seal will have been broken and over time the remaining pressure can leak-off. This could place you in a dangerous situation should an emergency arise and the extinguisher has not been properly recharged. If you are interested in receiving training in the use of fire extinguishers, contact your local fire department to see if they have any programs available, as many often do.

One last item specifically regarding the inspection of dry chemical extinguishers is that some manufacturers recommend shaking the extinguisher, or inverting it and tapping the bottom with your hand. This is to prevent the agent from settling and packing. Again, always follow the manufacturer's guidelines for that corresponding extinguisher.

As we have mentioned, some maintenance will have to performed on an extinguisher by the manufacturer or other qualified company, in accordance with the manufacturer's recommendations. We have already mentioned the proper recharging of an extinguisher.

Upon the manufacturer's recommendations, have the extinguisher inspected by qualified personnel who will give your extinguisher and thorough examination. This is to help give maximum assurance that your extinguisher is ready for use during an emergency. Any damage or defects will be repaired, or it will be recommended that the extinguisher be replaced with a new one.

Every so many years a hydrostatic test (pressure test of the tank) will need be performed. We can not stress enough, always follow the manufacturer's guidelines specific to the extinguisher.

Hopefully you will never have a fire in your home and find yourself in need of having to use a fire extinguisher. However, should you find yourself in that position, you certainly want to be prepared to use your extinguisher safely and efficiently. The first step in that preparation should have began as soon as you brought your new extinguisher home. We must once again reiterate because it is so important:

FULLY READ AND UNDERSTAND THE MANUFACTURER'S INSTRUCTIONS REGARDING THE PROPER USE OF THE FIRE EXTINGUISHER.

An emergency situation is the wrong time to be attempting to figure out how your fire extinguisher operates. Read the instructions included with extinguisher and make sure you completely understand them. Hold and examine your extinguisher and become familiar with it. If you are not confident in your ability to use your extinguisher when an emergency takes place, do not attempt to use it. Instead, get out and let the fire department handle the situation.


	Contact your local fire department or state fire marshal's office and inquire about extinguisher training.

Never test fire or practice with your extinguisher, as we explained above in the Maintenance section. If you are interested in learning how to properly use your extinguisher, contact your local fire department and inquire about extinguisher training.

While we may provide you with some general guidelines concerning the use of a fire extinguisher in an emergency situation, remember, every fire is different are there are no set rules regarding when to attempt extinguishment. Any persons attempting to attack a fire with a portable fire extinguisher must use their own best judgment, and they do so at their own extreme risk. Even with an appropriate extinguisher at hand and a good working knowledge of how to use it, the safest and wisest decision is to let the fire department handle the situation for you. Remember, your house can be rebuilt and your belongings replaced but your life can not be given back to you. We must once again reiterate that:

THE SAFEST AND PRUDENT COURSE OF ACTION IS TO ENACT YOUR FIRE ESCAPE PLAN, EVACUATE THE HOME, CLOSE ALL DOORS BEHIND YOU, PROCEED TO YOUR DESIGNATING PLACE OF MEETING AND CALL THE FIRE DEPARTMENT.

Before you attempt to extinguish a fire in your home, you should without a doubt do the following first in this order:

ACTIVATE a response from the fire department and get them en route immediately. Call 911 or have someone else make the call, or activate a response through your home alarm system if available. Even if you successfully extinguish the fire, the fire department will need to check for fire extension to other parts of your home and assist you with ventilation. Do not make the mistake of wasting precious time by fighting the fire on your own without the fire department en route, only to realize that the situation is beyond your ability to control it.

ASSIST anyone who needs help in evacuating such as children, the elderly and the infirmed. Make sure that any persons located on floors above the fire are evacuated. If you can not safely help someone escape, do not place yourself in danger. Notify the fire department as soon as possible that there are persons trapped in the building.

ATTEMPT to extinguish the fire only after the first two steps are completed.

Now you must carefully assess the situation and judge for yourself if it is reasonably safe to attempt extinguishment of the fire. You must always remember:

PORTABLE FIRE EXTINGUISHERS ARE DESIGNED TO BE USED ONLY ON A SMALL FIRE IN ITS INCIPIENT STAGE THAT IS RELATIVELY CONFINED AND NOT GROWING.

You have completed the above steps and feel that the incident meets the appropriate criteria to attempt extinguishment. Grab the fire extinguisher and give a quick look-over. If you have been following the manufacturer's guidelines for inspecting and maintaining your extinguisher, it almost is certainly ready to perform properly for you. Still, you want to be as sure as possible that the extinguisher is indeed ready before you place yourself in proximity to the fire. Look for:

If outside, approach the fire from the upwind side. If inside, approach from the direction which gives you the best angle to attack the fire, but is safe. Remember to keep a safe exit to your back at all times and do not allow the fire to cut-off your egress routes.

Most extinguishers will effectively discharge the agent over a good distance, so start about ten feet back from the fire and remember PASS.

PULL the pin. Don't worry about the tamper seal as it should break apart easily by just pulling the pin.

AIM the nozzle at the BASE of the fire from the recommended starting distance as prescribed by the manufacturer. You must attack the base of the fire for the extinguisher to be effective.

SWEEP the nozzle from side to side attacking the BASE of the fire until it is out. If the fire is inside a container such as a trash can, or behind or around an obstacle, move in slowly and work to attack the BASE of the fire, safely positioning yourself as necessary to effect extinguishment.

A common mistake made when using a portable fire extinguisher is directing the agent at the flames. This will have little to no effect. As we previously said, an extinguisher works by disrupting the four elements of the fire tetrahedron. To effectively disrupt these associations, the extinguishing agent must be applied to the base of the fire and to the surface of the fuel which is burning.


Directing the agent at the flames is ineffective.			Apply the agent to the base of the flames and to the surface of the fuel for effective extinguishment.

If you were able to successfully extinguish the fire, back out of the area closing any doors as you leave. Do not endanger yourself by turning your back to the fire as a rekindle could happen. If one does, try to extinguish it if the conditions are safe enough to do so.

If you can not quickly effect extinguishment after several seconds of discharging the extinguisher, do not continue to attempt to extinguish the fire.

It is quite possible the you were unable to successfully extinguish the fire. Maybe you used the wrong type of extinguisher, or maybe you used the proper extinguisher and the correct technique, and the fire still did not go out. The fire might be beyond the capability of the extinguisher. If you completely discharge your extinguisher, do not get another and continue to attempt to extinguish the fire.

Regardless of the reason as to why the fire did not extinguish, the correct action is to immediately leave the area and close any doors behind you to help contain the fire and smoke, and let the fire department handle the situation.