The 5 Different Types of Fire Extinguishers

6/21/2022 (Permalink)

Most of us have a pretty unsophisticated grasp of fire extinguishers. We know that they’re red, we know that they’re important, we know that you shouldn’t operate them for no reason (no matter how fun movies make it look), and that’s about it.

Did you know that there are actually five different “classes” of fire extinguishers that specialize in different types of fires? Probably not. Here’s a rundown.

Class A fire extinguishers are effective with ordinary combustibles, like wood, cloth and paper.

Class B fire extinguishers are specialized for use with flammable or combustible liquids. Think greases, tars, oils, alcohol, solvents and even flammable gases.

Class C extinguishers are exclusively for use with energized electrical equipment.

Class D extinguishers are designed for use with combustible metals, including things like sodium and lithium (which is a common material in rechargeable batteries).

Class K extinguishers are more often used in kitchens and are best used with combustible cooking materials (like fats and oils).

Keep in mind that these designations were determined by the NFPA, which is a US-based organization. Other countries have their own classification systems.