It is important to protect our loved ones and property from fire. The first step is fire prevention. That being said, each of us encounters unplanned fires. The main threats around the home are the kitchen grease fire, the car fire, the electrical fire and combustibles fires started by misuse of flame such as leaving a candle lit. It is important to have the right kind of fire extinguisher for the particular fire. There are some constant fire threats. Consider extinguishers for the furnace area, kitchen, garage, vehicles, RV, tractor and other farm equipment, barn, boat. Think about having an extinguisher handy to the bedroom since most household fires start at night. Besides determining the type of fire an area is most likely to have year ‘round, there are seasonal hazards for which to account. There are more electrical fires and Christmas tree fires around the holidays. Barbeque season brings its own problems. What about Fourth of July fireworks?
Extinguishers are rated by Underwriters’ Laboratory for different types of fire based on their testing. Class A is for normal combustibles like paper, wood, rubber, plastic, cloth or hay. This class uses pressurized water or dry chemicals to put the fire out. Class A extinguishers have an additional numeric rating for the amount of water to which the extinguisher is equivalent. Each unit equals 1¼ gallons of water. An extinguisher rated “1-A” would extinguish normal combustibles as well as 1¼ gallons of water. A rating of 4-A means it is equivalent to 5 gallons of water.
Class B is used to extinguish flammable liquids, grease, gas, oil, petroleum products, oil-based paint, lacquer, and solvents. It may contain dry chemicals or carbon dioxide (CO2.) Class B extinguishers have a numeric rating but it doesn’t mean the same thing as the numeric rating of Class A. Class B extinguishers are rated by how many square feet of fire can be extinguished by a non-expert using that extinguisher. Thus a rating of 10-B would mean that 10 square feet of a class B fire will be extinguished. That is an area slightly larger than 3 feet by 3 feet. Think about how much fire you plan to fight by yourself. 10 square feet of fire is too much for a non-professional to take on except to provide a means of escape from the area. It is doubtful that you will need anything larger than 10-B for personal use.
Use Class C fire extinguishers for electrical fires. These happen in wiring, fuse boxes, and electrical equipment including computers. There may be dry chemicals or CO2 inside. There is no numeric rating for this kind.
There is another class, Class D. It is for use on flammable metals like magnesium and sodium. This is a specialized class and is not used around the home.
Then, there are multi-class extinguishers that can handle more than one type of fire. They are classed as something like “A-B-C” or “B-C” using the above guidelines. There are also extinguishers that are made specifically for use over stoves. They contain bicarbonate of soda (baking soda.) The powder inside is released automatically if the temperature reaches 277F. Some large extinguishers come on wheeled carts. In the home, it is better to have a small extinguisher conveniently placed than to have a large, heavy extinguisher that must be brought to the scene.
The most common home and vehicle fire extinguisher is rated 5-B-C. These are small, less than two pounds, and easy for anyone to use. There are even smaller 2-B-C extinguishers available. Remember that the intent is not to put out a large fire. It is to extinguish a small fire or, in a real emergency, to clear a path through a fire as an escape route. Class A extinguishers are rarely purchased for personal use. Around the home, it is easy enough to use a water hose or bucket of water instead. It never hurts to have an extinguisher rated A-B-C though. If in doubt about what type of fire extinguishers you need, how many, or where they should be placed, call your local fire department on the non-emergency phone number. They will be happy to help you and your family stay safe.
