Small Fire Extinguishers
Else Kooi Laboratory
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Contents
Page 3 … Introduction
Page 3 … Fire triangle
Page 4 … Fire classes
Page 5 … Different extinguishers
Page 6 … Foam extinguishers
Page 7 … CO2 extinguishers
Page 8 … Powder extinguishers
Page 9 … Fire hose wheel
Page 10 …Fire blanket
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Introduction
In every company there is the possibility of a fire.
A small fire could become a big fire.
A starting fire could be extinguished, if not there is a ‘fire extension’.
A starting fire is a fire at the place where it started.
There are different small extinguishers, such as: foam, powder, carbon dioxide, water.
A small extinguisher is mobile and the maximum weight is 20 kg.
The time to be used is 20-30 seconds.
Every extinguisher has a different extinguish technic.
Each type of extinguisher is used for a specific fire. There are different fire classes, not
every extinguisher can be used for every fire
Therefore it’s necessary to know if you have the right extinguisher.
With fire there is always smoke.
Spreading of smoke is always faster than the spreading of a fire. Smoke is toxic. Approach a fire from a safe distance and be sure you don’t breath the smoke.
Think about your own safety first!
The Fire Triangle
The fire develops with three elements in the right proportion
• Oxygen
• Temperature
• Fuel
When you take out one of the elements, the fire will be extinguished.
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Fire classes
Before you start to extinguish, you have to know what kind of fire you have, so you can
choose the right extinguisher. The principle of the fire extinguisher is to take away one
of the three elements. Therefore the types of fire are classified.
Class A: Solid e.g. wood, paper, textile
Class B: Liquid e.g. petrol, diesel, acetone.
Class C: Gas e.g. LPG, butane, propane
Class E: Electricity is the cause, but not the fuel of the fire. For instance, if the television is on fire, it’s a Class A fire, but the electricity
is the cause.
Class D: Metal e.g. magnesium, aluminium, iron, sodium
Class F: Fat e.g. frying oil
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Different extinguishers
Portable fire extinguishers are filled with different extinguishing materials:
foam, carbon dioxide, water
The blanket and fire hose wheel are small extinguishers
FoamCO2Powder
Blanket
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Fire hose wheel
Foam extinguisher
Class A: solid. The extinguishing is water and water mist, it takes away the temperature.
Class B: liquid. Foam covers the fire, it takes away the oxygen
Electricity, some foam extinguishers can be used for a fire caused by electricity,
but BE CAREFUL, the smoke contains Hydro Chloric Acid
We recommend that you call 112 and bring yourself and others in safety!
The distance to be used if you use a foam extinguisher is 3-5m
Prepare and serve
• Take the extinguisher
• Put it on the floor
• Remove the safety pen and try the extinguisher
• Stay low when you approach the fire, the distance to be used is 3-5m
• Hold the tube at the handgrip and start to extinguish until there are no flames anymore
• Check if the fire is out
• Walk backwards after extinguishing
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CO2 / Carbon Dioxide extinguisher
Class B liquid. The carbon dioxide covers the fire, it takes away the oxygen.
CO2 is a liquid in the extinguisher, but when it leaves the extinguisher it will expand to a
gas.
It is important to know the temperature due to the expansion is -79 C. You have to hold
the tube at the plastic handgrip.
When you walk with the extinguisher hold the tube downwards, the distance to the fire
is minimum 1-1,5m.
Prepare and serve
• Take the extinguisher
• Put it on the floor
• Remove the safety pen and try the extinguisher
• Stay low when you approach the fire, the distance to be used is 1-1,5m
• Hold the tube at the handgrip and started to extinguishing until there are no flames
anymore
• Check if the fire is out
• Walk backwards after extinguishing
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Powder extinguisher
Class A: solid and Class B: liquid Class C: gas
A gas fire can be extinguished if the gas tap is turned off, otherwise there is a big change
of an explosion. The distance for a powder extinguisher is 3 -5m.
There are different types off powder:
• ABC powder Class: A solid, B liquid and C Gas
• BC powder Class: B liquid and C gas
• D powder Class: D metal
The powder deactivates the free radicals that sustain the fire, in this case you have to
aim IN the fire.
Prepare and serve
• Take the extinguisher
• Put it on the floor
• Remove the safety pen and try the extinguisher
• Stay low when you approach the fire, the distance to be use is 3-5m
• Hold the tube at the handgrip and started to extinguishing until there are no flames
anymore
• Class A: extinguish with an immediate burst
• Class B: spray continuously
• Check if the fire is out
• Walk backwards after extinguishing
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Fire hose wheel
Water is the most common extinguishing agent. Water is
useful for Class A, it lowers the temperature. The length of
the hose wheel is 25 -30m
With the hose wheel you’ve two possibilities, use a spray jet
or a bound jet.
The spray jet atomizes water drops, behind the spray jet it’s
safe to extinguish the fire until the flames have extinguished,
the bound jet is useful to extinguish a fire from a safe distance 5- 10m.
Don’t use water with electricity and a frying pan fire.
Prepare and serve
• Take the extinguisher
• Put it on the floor
• Open the valve and try the hose wheel, use the spray jet until the flames have extinguished
• Stay low when you approach the fire, the distance to be use is 5- 10m
• If the flames are extinguished, use the bound jet for the last burning remnants
• Check if the fire is out
• Walk backwards after extinguishing
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Fire blanket
Fire blankets made from not flammable material and suitable for persons who are on
fire.
They are suitable for small fires, Class A (solid) e.g. a television in fire and Class B (liquid).
A fire blanket is suitable for a frying pan fire.
The fire extinguishing operation is to take away the oxygen.
Prepare and serve
• Take the fire blanket and hold it between thumb and fingers.
• Move your arms up and turn your hands inside, your hands are now in the blanket
• Approach the fire and use the blanket as a protection for yourself
• In case of a casualty, approach the victim
• Approach the victim from his side at the level of the shoulders
• You have to sit on your knees
• Cover the victim, be sure if you remove the blanket, the flames are extinguished
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