The 8 Types of Fire Extinguishers You Never Knew Existed!

Fire Safety Regulations

Before we get to extinguishers and related details, first let’s get familiar with the regulations associated with fire safety. In the UK fire safety regulations are enforced by the Fire Safety Law. Introduced in 2005, the law covers detailed regulations on managing fire related emergencies in urban and industrial workplaces.

Fire Safety Law

The regulations describe the following stakeholders as key responsible personnel regarding fire safety,

1. Employers
2. Property/Business Owners
3. Contractors 
4. Tenants (in relation to maintenance, repair or safety of premises).

Duties

For these individuals, there are a number of key duties that need to be fulfilled with regards to fire safety,

1. Assess fire safety risks.
2. Enforce measures to reduce the risk of fire in the workplace.
3. Put in place measures to protect people from fire-related harms.

If you are one of these responsible individuals, we recommend that you keep track of the measures in place to prevent fire emergencies and identify groups/individuals, particularly at risk.

UK Governments have strategised sector-specific guidance which can be found by visiting the CFOA ‘Government Guidance’ page.

Different Types of Fires

Fire emergencies have been systematically studied and there are extensive protocols to contain fires of different sorts. To properly use these protocols you need to know the fire triangle as well as the classification of fires. It is only appropriate that different types of fire extinguishers are used to manage each type of fire.

Class A Fires Fires caused by combustible materials such as paper, fabric, wood and other flammable solids are classified as Class A fires. Storage facilities and Office spaces are specially liable to these types of fires.

Class B Fires Fires caused by flammable liquids such as paint, turpentine or petrol among others are Class B fires. Gas stations and Industrial facilities are most prone to these types of fires.

Class C Fires Flammable gases including methane, butane or hydrogen etc. are the cause of Class C fire. These fires are especially concerning due to high dispersal conditions.

Class D Fires Fires caused by volatile metals including potassium, aluminium or magnesium among others.

Class F Fires Class F fires include those caused by cooking oils such as a chip-pan fire.

Class K Fires Fires related to Kitchen equipment are referred to as Class K fires. The classification includes both household and industrial kitchens.

Electrical Fires Fires involving electrical equipment are specifically termed Electrical fires. Upon removal of the electrical item, the fire class is changed.

Understanding the Fire triangle

The fire triangle or combustion triangle is a model for explaining and understanding the necessary ingredients involved in fires. The triangle contains the three elements a fire needs to ignite, which are heat, fuel, and an oxidizing agent (usually oxygen). 

A fire naturally occurs when these 3 elements are present and combined in the correct mixture. Fires can be prevented or extinguished by removing any one of these elements. 

For instance, covering a fire with a fire blanket blocks oxygen and can extinguish a fire. In large fires where firefighters are called in this is not a feasible solution. Mostly because decreasing the amount of oxygen is not possible in an extended area.

The fire tetrahedron represents the addition of a new component as a chemical chain reaction, to the existing three already present in the triangle. Once a fire is ignited, the resulting exothermic (heat releasing) chain reaction sustains it and allows it to continue until or unless at least one of the elements of the fire is exhausted. 

Foam is used for the fact it can deny the fire the oxygen it needs. Water helps by lowering the temperature of the fuel below the ignition point or to displacing or disperse the fuel. Halon is used to remove free radicals and create a barrier of inert gas in a direct attack on the chemical reaction responsible for the fire, which effectively contains the fourth element of the tetrahedron.

8 different types of Fire Extinguishers

According to the UK fire regulation, all premises are bound to house some form of fire emergency management system. In most cases, this includes fire hoses, Fire hydrants and extinguishers. The goal of this section is to teach you the different types of extinguishers used in different settings. It also includes which extinguisher is appropriate for each fire type.