When you see a fire, your first thought might be to grab a fire extinguisher, but did you know that sometimes the fire extinguisher you grab might actually make the fire worse? This is because there are different types of fires, and you should make sure that any fire extinguisher that you have available near a risk area is the right type for the fire that is likely to occur there.
You can find 5 common types of fire extinguishers. Type A is the designation for regular fires in wood, paper, cardboard and similar materials. Type B is fire in petroleum based materials, such as gasoline, motor oil or diesel. Type C fires are electrical. Type D fires are caused by combustible metals. Type K fires are in animal fats and fryer oil.
Your fire extinguisher should have a list of which types of fire it can be used on, and if it is used on any other types, it can worsen the fire or be life-threatening to the person using it.
Recent Comments