Fire Extinguishers
FIRE EXTINGUISHERS
All you would like to know about fire extinguishers
Why Are there so many types of fire extinguishers?
There are many types of fire extinguisher because there are many different types of fire. Each extinguisher is designed to be used on a specific class of fire. It is important to use the right extinguisher to ensure that your actions are as effective as possible and don’t further ignite the fire.
What are the classes of fire?
| Class A – fires involving solid materials such as wood, paper or textiles |
| Class B – fires involving flammable liquids such as petrol, diesel or oils |
| Class C – fires involving gases |
| Class D – fires involving metals such as potassium or magnesium |
| Class E – fires involving live electrical apparatus* |
| Class F – fires involving cooking oils such as in deep-fat fryers |
* Technically ‘Class E’ doesn’t exist. Before this classification system, there was a classification of electrical fires, but since electricity itself is a cause of fire, these types of fires have been incorporated into the main classes. Once you have turned off the electricity the fire becomes the same as any other.