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Extreme heat
Oxygen (or another type of gas)
Fuel—the burning material
A fire stops burning when any one of these elements is removed. The
relationship between these factors is often visualized as a “fire triangle”
(pictured below). But while it’s the easiest to visualize, the fire triangle
has been largely replaced by the fire tetrahedron. The tetrahedron adds
one more element: chain reactions, which create a gaseous fuel that
sustains fires.
Th
e “fire triangle” illustrates the elements needed for a fire to ignite.
Removing any one of these three elements stops the fire from burning.
Image source: Wikipedia.
Some extinguishing agents smother the fire, depriving it of oxygen.
Others cool the burning material, removing heat. All fire extinguishers
are similar in the sense that they deprive the fire of one or more of these
elements. But not all extinguishers are effective against the same fires.
Some can’t penetrate deeply enough to stop fires in ordinary
combustibles, for example, while others can’t stop fires in flammable
liquids—and can even spread the fire.
What are the types of fire extinguishers
and their uses?
Most fire extinguishers operate in a fashion similar to an aerosol can. The
tank contains compressed gas, pressurized liquid, or a combination of
the two with an added extinguishing agent. Squeezing the fire
extinguisher’s lever creates an opening that allows the compressed
material to escape through a nozzle or short hose.
Dry Chemical
Dry chemical fire extinguishers use multipurpose agents that extinguish
Class A, B, and C fires. This suitability for the most common fire types
makes these and other “Class ABC” fire extinguishers the go-to choice in
homes or offices.
A dry chemical ABC fire
extinguisher.
Wet Chemical
Wet chemical extinguishers remove the fire’s heat. The chemical
extinguishing agent also creates a barrier between oxygen and fuel.
Some wet chemical extinguishers can tame both Class K and Class A
fires.
Clean Agent/Halogenated
Clean-agent and halogenated extinguishers deprive fires of heat. They
also leave no residue, making them ideal for use in situations where
other agents might damage expensive equipment. Most of these
extinguishers belong to fire extinguisher Class BC. However, some larger
clean agent extinguishers can also fight Class A fires. This equipment
provides an environmentally-friendly alternative to Halon extinguishers,
which release ozone-damaging chemicals.
Dry Powder
Like dry chemical extinguishers, dry powder extinguishers deprive the fire
of oxygen or remove the fire’s heat. These belong to fire extinguisher
Class D, making them suitable for use only with combustible metal fires.
Water Mist
Water Mist extinguishers remove the fire’s heat. Some fight only Class A
fires while others, surprisingly, can tackle Class C electrical fires.
By breaking up water into fine droplets, many of these extinguishers can
cleanly put out electrical fires without allowing electricity to travel
through the spray. Water mist extinguishers can serve as an alternative
to clean agent extinguishers.
A
water mist extinguisher. Image source: Buckeye Fire
Cartridge Operated Dry Chemical
This multipurpose dry chemical extinguisher works for Class A, B, and C
fires. Cartridge-operated dry chemical extinguishers specifically work for
Class A fires by creating a barrier between the oxygen and fuel elements.
Th
is extinguisher’s classification reads 4A:80B:C, indicating suitability for
use against Class A, B, and C fires.
The letters in these ratings indicate the fire extinguisher’s class. A
2A:10B:C fire extinguisher, for example, can be used on Class A, B, and C
fires. The numbers preceding the letters “A” or “B” indicate how effective
the fire extinguisher is at extinguishing that particular type of fire.
For each number before the A, the extinguisher’s agent delivers the
extinguishing equivalent of 1.25 gallons of water. 8A extinguishers, then,
are as powerful against ordinary combustibles as 10 gallons of water (8 x
1.25 = 10). The number before the B rating represents square footage—a
well-handled 10B extinguisher can stop 10 square feet of Class B fires.
The “C” is omitted for extinguishers not suitable for use on energized
electrical equipment. When this letter is included, the extinguisher can
stop other fires in accordance with its rating (usually, Class A, Class B, or
Class A and B) even if there’s electrical equipment involved. It doesn’t
have a number; a “C” simply indicates that the extinguishing agent
doesn’t conduct electricity.
Some extinguishers also include a “K” rating, indicating suitability for use
against hot cooking oils and greases. However, “K” extinguishers also do
not include a water equivalent or square footage rating. Also—and this
can be confusing—it’s crucial to distinguish extinguishers rated for Class
K fires from “Purple K” extinguishers. The latter uses a different,
potassium-bicarbonate-based dry chemical agent specially designed for
Class B and Class C fires.
Re
gular inspection can identify problems like these before a fire
extinguisher fails. Image source: iCreatables.
These inspections should also determine if a fire extinguisher requires a
hydrostatic test. Hydrostatic tests pressurize an extinguisher to
determine if the tank has weakened. Because a weakened fire
extinguisher poses the threat of failure or explosion upon use,
extinguishers that fail hydrostatic tests may not return to service. The
frequency of required hydrostatic tests varies with the extinguisher’s
type, but dry chemical ABC extinguishers—the most common type—
must undergo testing at least every 12 years.