Dashpivot Article – What are the Classes of Fire Extinguishers?
What are the Classes of Fire Extinguishers?
Understanding a Fire
Fire has been used by humanity as long as 2 million years ago. In this era, it is involved in a kaleidoscope of use in our daily lives. From the simple breakfast we cook every morning to burning coals in the power plant to provide us with electricity. This just goes to say that using fire has become an essential part of our everyday lives. But as mesmerising as a fire might look and how useful it may be, it also has the potential to destroy. While it can sustain life, it also can be the source to take away one. Many industries provide a lot of safety measures to prevent a fire from occurring in their establishments and companies. These measures are also mandated and maintained by regulations to produce a standard in eliminating every possibility that a fire occurs. If ever a fire does occur, we have invented ingenious ways to fight a fire, including the fire extinguisher. In this article, we'll answer the question - what are the classes of fire extinguishers?
But one must understand that to fight fires, we must first be equipped with the knowledge of the different Classes of Fires. Fires have been categorised into the different classes worldwide. Let us learn here the Different Classes of Fires.
Classes of Fire
In order to find the best way to extinguish a fire, it is vital to learn what type of fire it is. Here are the major classes of fire, determined by what it's fuelled with. It is also important to note that these classes might be different in some parts of the world. But do not fret, for I will also be mentioning the these differences in this section.
Class A Fires
A class A fire is the most usual occurrence of fire.
This type of fire is fuelled by common, solid materials, such as paper, wood, fabric or trash.
This type of fire usually occurs because of a solid material is heated to its point of ignition. Mostly, these fires occur in warehouses.
Class B Fires
Glass B fires are fires who are fuelled by flammable liquids.
Common examples of these fuels are petrol, diesel, solvents and paints.
This kind of fuel have lower ignition points which make them more susceptible to catching fire, unlike Class A fires which are fuelled by common materials.
Class C Fires
In the USA and Australia, they classify class C fires as fires ignited by electrical equipment.
Note that in the USA, OSHA drives many of the standards around fire extinguishers which you can read more about here.
The reason for these fires could be faulty electrical wiring, gadget batteries overheating, or power boxes going haywire.
Meanwhile, in the UK, they classify Class C Fires as fires fuelled by gaseous state fuels.
Common examples of these are butane and Natural Gases.
In the UK, fires caused by electrical equipment aren’t officially classified, but are still recognised as a cause of fire.
Class D Fires
These type of Fires are fuelled by combustible metals.
Common example of these metals are magnesium, titanium and aluminium.
These fires usually happen in fabrication shops where a lot of metal works are involved such as cutting drilling and welding.
Class F or Class K Fires
Class F fires are fires caused by the combustion of fats and cooking oils.
It usually occurs when oils have reached their flash points, which usually occur at 315 degrees Celsius. When oils reach above this temperature, they don’t need an igniter to burst into flames but will alight themselves into flames.
This kind of fires usually happen in kitchens.
In the United States, they classify these type of fires as Class F fires, while in the UK and Australia they classify these fires as Class K Fires.
Types of Fire Extinguishers for Different Classes of Fire
During the early stages of a fire, one of the most handy safety devices we could use to mitigate and control the fire is a fire extinguisher. It is a hand held cylindrical pressurised vessel containing an agent which we spray out to extinguish the fire. There are different type of fire extinguishers to be used in different classes of fire. It is important to know which right extinguisher to use to effectively put out a fire. Using the wrong one might even alleviate the situation to the worst. Here are the different types of Fire Extinguishers.
Class of Fire Extinguisher #1 - Water Extinguishers
These are effective against fires involving ordinary combustibles such as wood, paper, and textiles. Water extinguishers cool the burning materials and are most suitable for Class A fires only.
Foam Extinguishers
Foam agents are used to extinguish fires by creating a barrier between the fuel and the air. These extinguishers are ideal for fires involving liquids (Class B) and also work well on Class A fires.
Dry Chemical Powder Extinguishers
These extinguishers are extremely versatile. The powder interrupts the chemical reaction of the fire, making these suitable for a variety of fire types, including those involving flammable liquids, gases, and electrical equipment.
Carbon Dioxide (CO2) Extinguishers
CO2 extinguishers are effective against electrical fires (Class C) and flammable liquids (Class B) because CO2 displaces oxygen and does not leave a residue, which is ideal for environments involving electrical or sensitive equipment.
Wet Chemical Extinguishers
They are built for combat for fires that involves cooking oil and fats.
These fire extinguishers may also be used also for class A fires, which is useful for commercial kitchens
Vaporising Liquid Extinguishers : These extinguishers discharge a mist that cools the fire and separates the fuel from the oxygen.
They are less common but highly effective across multiple fire types.
What are the Classes of Fire Extinguishers in Australia and the UK?
| Fire Extinguisher Type | Class A (Solids) | Class B (Liquids) | Class C (Gases) | Class D (Metals) | Class E (Electrical) | Class F (Cooking Oils & Fats) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Water (Red Label) | ✅ Yes | ❌ No | ❌ No | ❌ No | ❌ No | ❌ No |
| Foam (Cream Label) | ✅ Yes | ✅ Yes | ❌ No | ❌ No | ⚠️ Limited | ❌ No |
| Dry Powder (Blue Label) | ✅ Yes | ✅ Yes | ✅ Yes | ✅ Yes | ✅ Yes | ❌ No |
| CO₂ (Black Label) | ❌ No | ✅ Yes | ❌ No | ❌ No | ✅ Yes | ❌ No |
| Wet Chemical (Yellow Label) | ✅ Yes | ❌ No | ❌ No | ❌ No | ❌ No | ✅ Yes |
What are the Classes of Fire Extinguishers in the United States?
In the United States, they have categorised their Fire Extinguisher based on the Type of Fire. They mainly made specific extinguishers for each class of fire.
| Fire Extinguisher Type | Class A (Solids) | Class B (Liquids) | Class C (Electrical) | Class D (Metals) | Class K (Cooking Oils & Fats) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Water (Red Label) | ✅ Yes | ❌ No | ❌ No | ❌ No | ❌ No |
| Foam (Cream Label) | ✅ Yes | ✅ Yes | ❌ No | ❌ No | ❌ No |
| Dry Chemical (ABC Type) | ✅ Yes | ✅ Yes | ✅ Yes | ❌ No | ❌ No |
| CO₂ (Carbon Dioxide) | ❌ No | ✅ Yes | ✅ Yes | ❌ No | ❌ No |
| Wet Chemical (Kitchen Fire Extinguisher) | ✅ Yes | ❌ No | ❌ No | ❌ No | ✅ Yes |
Educate your team on what are the classes of fire extinguishers
Holding a toolbox talk is one of the most effective methods to educate your team on what are the classes of fire extinguishers.
The toolbox talk example above was created using a toolbox talk fire extinguishers template.
You should use it for your next toolbox talk about fire extinguishers. It comes pre-built with all the required sections. You can detail all your fire extinguisher discussion points, record safety issues raised by team members, assign action items, and take meeting attendance. Photos and other attachments can also be added to the form. It can be customised to suit any other requirements.
Use and customise toolbox talks on fire extinguishers for free
Maintaining Fire Extinguishers
We have already established that fire extinguishers can help us defend ourselves in case we are ever brought upon a situation where a fire occurred. When fire extinguishers are installed, a regular inspection must be conducted to see if these extinguishers will be useful in case if there's a fire. One of the inspection is a frequent quick check to see if the extinguisher is fully charged.
To inspect fire extinguishers, you must always check that they are located in their designated areas. These areas where fire extinguishers are strategically placed based on the fire code in your area, so it is a must for them to be present on where they are installed.
These areas must also have adequate signage, to help people find them in case of a fire. The area must also be free from obstruction to eliminate the possibility of injury when people run towards extinguishers to get them. In inspecting an extinguisher, one should take a look at the pressure gauge if it's still in the green area. Next is to check the condition of the tank, nozzle, lever, and pin if they are in good condition and are in place. Lastly, don't forget to place the last inspection date on the tag.
There's a lot of detail and legislation around fire extinguishers for obvious reasons, and we have a number of article on topics like how often do fire extinguishers need to be inspected, as well as a number of ways that you can streamline and digitise how you manage fire inspections, maintenance and overall compliance requirements through software and digital templates.
Fire Extinguisher Inspection Checklist template
This fire extinguisher inspection checklist makes it easier to keep your extinguishers in good, safe and compliant working order.
Fire Inspection Report template
Ensure all of your fire inspection reports are complete, compliant and professional using this flexible and digital template.
Fire Door Inspection Checklist template
Breeze through your regular scheduled fire door inspections with this free checklist template
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