A fire can break out when we least expect it, and when that happens, fire extinguishers are often the first tools we turn to. Whether a pan catches fire while we're cooking or a fraying electrical cord sparks and ignites something nearby, a fire extinguisher can help stop a small fire before it gets out of hand. You won't just find fire extinguishers at home. When you're out and about, you'll see them in offices, restaurants, schools, stores, and even airports -- anywhere fire safety is a priority.
In many instances, fire extinguishers are accessible to the public, and people are encouraged to use them in an emergency. For example, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration mandates that employers make fire extinguishers easily accessible to employees. A fire extinguisher is also one of the emergency tools you should always keep in your car.
However, a fire extinguisher won't do you much good if you don't know how to use it correctly. A big part of being able to use a fire extinguisher properly is understanding the symbols printed on its label. These symbols tell you what kind of fires the extinguisher can put out. This information is important because using the wrong extinguisher could make the fire worse. The good news is that the fire extinguishers most commonly found in homes in the U.S. are multi-purpose units labeled for Class A, B, and C fires. That means a single can handle common fires involving everyday materials like trash, flammable liquids, and even electrical equipment.
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What Do The A, B, And C Symbols On A Fire Extinguisher Mean?
Many home fire extinguishers are labeled for more than one class of fire. If yours has symbols for A, B, and C, that means it's designed to handle all three types. The Class A symbol (a triangle with an "A") lets you know that the extinguisher can be used to deal with fires started by ordinary combustibles, including cloth, paper, wood, or plastics. These are the types of fires that leave behind ash. If you've ever used tools to start and maintain a campfire, you've seen how wood burns down to ash, just like the materials a Class A extinguisher is meant to put out. An easy way to remember this class is to think of "A" for Ash. Along with the letter A in a triangle, you can use the burning trash and wood log picture to identify this fire extinguisher.
If you see the Class B symbol (a square with a "B") on a fire extinguisher, that means it can be used out put out fires that started with flammable liquids and gases, such as oil, grease, paint, and alcohol. Fires that involve flammable liquids can spread fast, and you can't put them out with water. In fact, using water on these types of fires can make the situation worse. The Class C symbol (a circle with a "C") tells you the extinguisher is safe to use on electrical fires involving equipment that's still plugged in. You should never use water on a Class C fire, as water conducts electricity and increases the danger. Most U.S. home ABC extinguishers use ammonium phosphate dry chemical, a multipurpose agent that smothers, cools, and interrupts the chemical reaction of Class A, B, and C fires, all in a single, non‑conductive formula.
Are Fire Extinguisher Symbols Always The Same?
Fire extinguisher labels aren't always the same. That being said, in the U.S., the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) establishes guidance for the symbols used on fire extinguisher labels. This guidance is outlined in NFPA 170: Standard for Fire Safety and Emergency Symbols. According to the NFPA, these recommendations "provide standard symbols used to communicate fire safety, emergency, and associated hazards information. Using easily understood uniform symbols on labels and signs provides consistency, eliminates confusion, and improves communication."
While there's no federal law that mandates the use of these symbols (such as colored shapes and pictograms) on fire extinguisher labels, many states follow the NFPA standards. For example, Colorado and Connecticut have both adopted NFPA 170 as part of their fire safety standards. Many consider fire extinguishers must-have safety equipment for home DIY projects, especially when working with tools or flammable materials. So if you're in the U.S., especially in homes and offices with multipurpose extinguishers, you can generally expect to see the same Class A, B, and C symbols on the label.
If you travel overseas, that's another story. The International Organization for Standardization makes general recommendations on fire extinguishers; however, how their guidance is applied varies from region to region. As a result, you should always read the label on the fire extinguisher carefully before using it on a fire.
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