There is not a single fire extinguisher type that can be used to fight every type of fire, and because each fire extinguisher type has different classes of fire on which it is effective, selection is critical.
The first thing to look at is what materials are present in the vicinity to be protected from fire. These can be divided into six categories of fire involving different substances:
- Class A, combustible carbon-based solids eg paper, wood or textiles
- Class B, flammable liquids eg paraffin, petrol, diesel or oil (but not cooking oil)
- Class C, flammable gases, eg butane, propane or methane
- Class D, burning metals, eg aluminium, lithium or magnesium
- Fires caused by electrical equipment (indicated by an electric spark symbol and not the letter E)
- Class F, fats and cooking oils.
In the UK for example, portable fire extinguishers must conform to the British Standard EN3. This standard specifies that their body is coloured red. A small coloured band indicates the fire extinguisher type – red for water, white and red for water mist, cream for foam, blue for dry powder, yellow for wet chemical, green for clean agent and black for CO2 extinguishers.
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