How to Use ABC Fire Extinguishers

Fire extinguishers are a safe bet---when you know how to maintain and use them. Having an extinguisher inspected annually and refilled after any discharge is common sense, but using one in an emergency can be confusing or even frightening. Most household fire extinguishers are general use, or "ABC," fire extinguishers, designed to put out fires ranging from paper to gasoline and electrical equipment. Every home should have several units large enough to extinguish a small fire but small enough to move easily.

Difficulty: Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• General Use (ABC) fire extinguisher
• Contact information for extinguisher inspection and service company

1. 
   Older ABC extinguishers may have letters, shapes or colors on labels.

   Teach everyone where extinguishers are located and how they work. Explain that fighting a fire requires a judgment to be made that it's small enough to put out easily--a call that ought to be made by an adult. If the fire is too big to fight, the action that may save more of the house and its inhabitants is to get out and call the Fire Department immediately. If the fire is small and appears not to be spreading, a buddy should call 911 and check to make sure there's at least one way to escape if the fire "blows up" unexpectedly before the extinguisher is in hand.

2. 
   New extinguishers use pictographs like this one for paper and rubbish. A-type fires.

   Detach the extinguisher from its mount when a need arises. Most home extinguishers don't sit in boxes with glass doors but on mounting plates, or even stand in a closet or cabinet. Check to make sure the unit is fully charged; most extinguishers have some sort of gauge or indicator that indicates proper charging. Carry it toward the fire until you begin to feel the heat of it---five to ten feet for a small fire, and set the extinguisher base down on the floor.

3. 
   Extinguisher control--pin and trigger handle.

   Pick up the hose clipped to the side of the extinguisher and pull the steel pin with the chain on it straight out of the handle. Aim the hose at the base of the fire and squeeze the grip of the handle. The closing of the grip will release the pressurized chemicals inside the cylinder, and they will be propelled out of the hose with some force, so hang on to the end of the hose and point it away from you toward the fire before squeezing the trigger.

4. 
   B-type fires may include gasoline, kerosene, cleaning and paint solvents

   Sweep along the base of the flames with the extinguisher contents, maintaining a firm grip on the depressed handle. Keep aiming at the base of the flames, advancing slowly if possible, until the fire is completely out or until the extinguisher is completely discharged---about 10 seconds. Check to make sure the fire's out before leaving the area. If the extinguisher's empty and the fire is still going, it's time to get out and close the door behind you.

5. 
   Type C electrical fires can "travel" in walls and floors.

   Inspect and recharge the extinguisher as soon as possible after use---even if it was just discharged for a second or two. Extinguisher pressure dissipates and valves leak after time under pressure. Replacing an old extinguisher is much less expensive than replacing your home.

Tips & Warnings

• Many kitchen extinguishers are ABC extinguishers. A new type "K" extinguisher was added to the National Fire Protection Association's extinguisher standards in 1998. It is designed for use on grease or animal fat fires in large or commercial kitchens. If you have special-use extinguishers (K for kitchen fires, Halotron or Type D for computers and electronics), position them near the area where they will be needed so no time is wasted looking for the right unit. Any child who's big enough to carry an ABC extinguisher around should be taught how it works. If she's the first (or only) one present, she may forget to call an adult and try to use it herself.
• Always check behind walls and under floors to make sure that a fire that appears to be out isn't traveling up the wall or across the floor on wiring or in building materials. The ammonium phosphate in ABC extinguishers can form highly corrosive phosphoric acid and should not be used on electronics like computers and scientific instruments except in an emergency. Never walk on a burned area when advancing with a fire extinguisher. If the area re-ignites, your escape options will be limited.

References

• Extinguisher Basics
• Hanford Fire Department

Resources

• Fire Extinguisher 101