Fire Extinguishers

A classroom would generally contain only "ordinary combustibles", so a type A fire extinguisher would be appropriate.

In a chemistry laboratory, cooking class, automobile engines, electrical or welding class, different rules would dictate the type, placement and number of required fire extinguishers, typically Type ABC (multi-class).

There is no liquid powder extinguisher on the market.

If you can, the first thing you should do is turn off the electrical source. However, by this point, wire insulation and other materials are burning, so do not spend a lot of time fumbling with panel breakers as shutting off power will not extinguish flames. A dry chemical fire extinguisher is best for putting out the fire; second best is a CO2. NEVER NEVER NEVER use water unless you are a trained fireman. You run a high risk of electrocuting yourself and may cause adverse reactions with electrical equipment. If you are successful in putting out the fire, consider calling the fire department anyway. They are trained to look for signs of secondary hot spots that may have been ignited by the electrical circuit.

class b fuels for fire extinguisher training

The body of the extinguisher contains sodium bicarbonate dissolved in water. In the top, there is a bottle of acid. When someone turns the extinguisher upside down, the sodium bicarbonate and acid reacts to release carbon dioxide under pressure. The water/acid solution is then forced out of the extinguisher under pressure.

A magnisium fire burns at a significantly higher temperature than a typical fire with other combustable materials. If a water extinguisher were to be used on a metal fire, the heat of the fire will cause the water to break down into its chemical constituants Hydrogen, and Oxygen (H2O), and instead of removing heat from the fire it will actually cause the fire to intensify due to the addition of fuel Hydrogen (H2) and an oxidizer Oxygen (O).

Other extinguishers can extinguish the fire, but again due to the extreme heat it will take significantly more agent to extinguish this type of fire than would be needed for a standard combustables fire. An extinguishing agent which is designed for use on a metal fire can withstand the extreme heat and will extinguish the fire by blanketing the burning metal and smothering the fire by depriving it of oxygen. Dry Sand for example would work well. There are other agents which could be used on this type of fire which extinguish the fire interfering with the fire's chemical reaction rather than smothering it.

The best type of fire extinguisher for use on flammable liquid fires is a portable fire extinguisher that can extinguish every single class of fire as defined by EN3 (A-B-E-D-F), NFPA/ANSI/UL (A-B-C-D-K) standards. This class of extinguisher should also be capable of extinguishing, in the flammable liquids class (B), both polar and non-polar fuels (polar: alcohols, ethers and esters; non-pollar: gasoline, etc.). In-depth research will show that in the last 100-years only a new Technology known as FFC (Fire Fighting Catalyst) by FireStopper® has produced the only reliable, independently tested and rated, listed, all fire-class effective fire extinguisher that meets the above requirements and more. As an added bonus, this new water-based "Green" Technology is freeze resistant to -100°F (-73.3°C) without harmful anti-freeze additives usable in the harshest environments of the planet.

Get the extinguisher and have a good grip on it, pull the pin out of the handle, pull the hose/pipe/tube out if it has one, aim towards the center of the fire. Also, please make sure you are using the proper extinguisher type.

It extinguishes a paper fire by cooling...water is a cooling agent...fire is a product of heat...cool the heat=fire goes out.

Fire extinguishers should be inspected annually - by a suitably qualified person.

Depending upon what fire code is used and where the extinguisher is located, it should be checked monthly. In fact, a fire inspector can ask to see the records of the monthly tests, which are normally attached on a tag on each extinguisher.

Modern codes are beginning to require automatic electronic monitoring of fire extinguishers.

Depends upon the type of hazard, type of occupancy and type of extinguisher.

For example:

Class A fire extinguishers may be 75 feet away, depending upon what the hazard is

Class B must be within 50 ft of flammable liquids, and smaller fire extinguishers must be within 30 ft, if allowed at all (e.g., a 5-B when a 10-B is 50 ft away).

Class C extinguishers should be within range according to whether the extinguisher is a Class ABC or BC (i.e., 75 ft or 50 ft) for the surrounding fuels.

Class D extinguishers should be within 75 feet.

Class K must be within 30 feet of the kitchen frying station.

NFPA 1: 13.6.8

The content inside fire extinguisher, besides a pick-up tube and a valve, is made up of several commercially recognized and approved suppressant materials such as:

water, water with additives (such as foams like AFFF, FFFP, etc.) Dry Chemicals such as sodium bicarbonate (baking soda) or potassium bicarbonate and other salts in combination, gasses like CO2 and streaming gasses like Halon, FM 200, FE 36, etc.

For specific fire class usage such as class D (metals) and class K (cooking media, i.e., vegetable oils and fats) extinguishers may contain wet chemical compounds of potassium salt for K ratings and Dry Chemical formulations that contain mica and other salts that may suppress or control flammable metals (class D).

For Class A hazards, not more than 75 feet from anywhere (i.e., no more than 150 feet apart) or maximum of 11,250 sq ft for a 2-A extinguisher (4-A for high-hazard).

If there are Class B hazards, the rule is either 30 ft or 50 ft, depending upon type of hazard and size of extinguisher (not more than 60 or 100 feet apart).

NFPA 1 National Fire Code (2009) 13.6.8.2.1.1, -3.1.1. Your local fire inspector may modify these criteria to account for other factors.

cooking oils and fats

The first fire extinguisher was made in 1723 by Ambrose Godfrey.

The pressure gauge on a fire extinguisher indicates whether the extinguisher is properly pressurized and ready for use. A needle in the green zone signifies that the extinguisher is charged and functional, while a needle in the red zone indicates low pressure or that the extinguisher may need maintenance or replacement. Regularly checking the pressure gauge is crucial for ensuring the extinguisher will operate effectively in an emergency.

The dry powder in ABC fire extinguishers is non-toxic but can cause skin irritation. You can check the manufacturer's website but this info is from the Kidde user guide for their fire extinguishers and should be accurate. The chemicals used vary by model and manufacturer but if they sprayed toxic chemicals they'd never be licensed for home use. I would try to minimize your exposure using a surgical mask or at least the kind sold for yard work or painting, but unless you have respiratory problems like asthma there shouldn't be much risk if you have no mask. If you're trying to clean up after use, use a vacuum and wet cloth to remove the residue.

The stream should be aimed directly at the base of the fire. This will extinguish the source of the flame. Aiming it at the flame itself will have little impact. Always use the correct type of extinguisher for the fire source

Class A - fires involving solid materials such as wood, paper or textiles.

Class B - fires involving flammable liquids such as petrol, diesel or oils.

Class C - fires involving gases.

Class D - fires involving metals.

Class E - fires involving live electrical apparatus. (Technically 'Class E' doesn't exists however this is used for convenience here)

Class F - fires involving cooking oils such as in deep-fat fryers.

Water Red

Class A Water extinguishers are used on Class A fires. They are not suitable for fires fuelled by flammable liquids or where electricity is involved.

Foam Cream

Class A and B Foam is a versatile fire extinguisher. Used for Class A and B fires.

CO2 Black

Class B and E CO2 fire extinguishers are used for fires involving electrical apparatus. They have no post fire security which means that the fire could reignite.

Dry Powder Blue

Class A, B and C Dry powder extinguishers can be used on Class A, B and C fires. Dry powder is not recommended for use inside because it can obscure vision and damage goods and machinery.

Wet Chemical

Yellow Class F Wet chemical extinguishers are for fires involving cooking fats and oils. They are most suitable for use in restaurants and kitchens.

the best way to fight a fire is to pevent it.

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You need firefighters who are properly trained and equipped, not to mention motivated, to respond to dangerous emergencies including structure fires, forest fires, hazardous material spills, motor vehicle accidents, swift-water rescues, industrial accidents, and just about anything else that puts peoples' lives in jeopardy. As a bonus, many firefighters are also trained in fire prevention, fire inspection and fire investigations, to assist in making everyone safer.

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