Extinguisher Types

Types of Extinguishing Agents

There are eight different extinguishing agents used in modern fire extinguishers: ABC Dry Chemical, BC Dry Chemical, Dry Powder, Water, Foam, Wet Chemical, Halogenated, and Carbon Dioxide. Each type covers different classes of fires and are recommended for different situations:

• ABC Dry Chemical - Works on Class A, B, and C fires

• BC Dry Chemical - Works on Class B and C fires

• Carbon Dioxide - Works on Class B and C fires

• Water - Works on Class A fires

• Foam - Works on Class A and B fires

• Halogenated - Works on Class A, B, and C fires

  • Halogenated extinguishers are recommended for use around sensitive electrical equipment because they don’t leave a possibly damaging residue on the equipment.

• Dry Powder - Works on Class D fires

• Wet Chemical - Works on Class K fires