What are the different types of Fire Extinguishers?

Posted 5 years ago

All fires are the result of three things - heat, oxygen, and a fuel source. Take away one of these and the fire stops. However, how you do this depends on the kind of fuel source which is feeding the fire. This is why there are different types of fire extinguishers for different situations.

Fires are grouped into five different classes, these are:

Class A - combustible materials: these involve materials like wood, paper, and fabric
Class B - flammable liquids: which include the following - petrol, oils or paints
Class C - flammable gases: like butane or methane
Class D - combustible metals: such as magnesium or aluminium
Class F - cooking oils: fires that involve cooking oils like deep-fat fryers
Electrical fires: there is no Class E. These fires ignite from an electrical source but once the electrical item is taken away from the situation, the fire changes class

Which fire extinguisher types you use will depend on the class of fire; they are colour coded to help you pick the right one in an emergency.

Wet Chemical Extinguisher

Wet Chemical Extinguishers are coloured yellow and are the only extinguishers that should be used for Class F fires.

It is worth noting that these extinguishers can be used in Class A fires but other extinguishers are more effective and this one may not put the fire out as quickly.

Water Extinguisher

Water extinguishers are a solid red colour. They should be used on Class A fires.

These fire extinguishers should never be used on electrical fires or cooking oil fires.

Foam Spray Extinguisher

Foam Spray Extinguishers (also known as AFFF extinguishers) are cream coloured. They should be used on Class A or Class B fires.

These fire extinguishers should never be used on Class F fires.

Carbon Dioxide Extinguisher

Carbon Dioxide extinguishers are coloured black. They are used to treat Class B or Electrical Fires.

Due to the large pressure of this extinguisher, they should not be used on Class F fires as they can move the oil around and spread the fire.

Dry Powder Extinguisher

Dry Powder extinguishers are coloured blue. They should be used on Class A, B and C fires. They can sometimes be used on Electrical Fires and Class D if they are made of a specific powder. Always read the label for more information.

Fire Blankets

Although not an actual “fire extinguisher”, fire blankets can be used to extinguish fires. They can be used on Class B or F fires.

The blanket works by cutting out the oxygen which fuels fire, so they need to form a complete seal over the top of the fire.

Fire Awareness Training is incredibly important for all staff in all workplaces in case of an emergency. Additionally, all workplaces should have a designated Fire Warden who also has to undertake training. Why not browse our full range of Fire Safety courses today or demo one of our courses with a free trial...