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The question now is, what kind of portable fire extinguishers are used to mitigate each specific type of fire, as mentioned above?

Common extinguishers use water as the extinguishing agent. However, water fire extinguishers cannot be the ideal equipment to mitigate fires in the kitchen, such as fires caused by grease or cooking oils, due to ineffectivity. This is why multipurpose fire extinguishers with suitable chemical agents are preferred while mitigating fires of a certain type.

Water

Fire extinguishers with water as their extinguishing agent are typically used for class-A fires. Even though most fire extinguishers use water as their extinguishing agent, it is ineffective in extremely cold places due to its freezing capabilities. Various additives are combined with the water, such as anti-freezing elements or wetting agents, to make it more powerful and effective for fighting fires.

There is another category called water mist extinguishers, which sprays fine droplets of water instead of a stream. These are used in places where the assets are too sensitive or prone to damage with the chemicals used in the fire extinguisher agent, such as museums, libraries, or other antique places where asset protection is more important.

Film forming foam

These extinguishers are mostly used on class A and class B fires. Instead of liquid spray, it projects a foam-like layer on the surface, extinguishing the fire on the spot by preventing any possible ignite. In cases of class B fires, which are flammable liquids, a layer is placed on top of them to prevent the reignition of the fire. One downside is you cannot use film-forming foam fire extinguishers in areas with freezing temperatures.

Carbon dioxide

Carbon dioxide fire extinguishers have a slight advantage; that is, they don’t leave a residue. This is typically beneficial when the asset is costly, such as expensive electrical equipment. The downfall to carbon dioxide fire extinguishers is that, since they are mostly gaseous, they have a short range and are not suitable for outdoor fires or windy places.

Halogenated agents

Used for A, B, and C classes of fires – fire extinguishers with halogenated extinguishing agents are mostly suitable for electrical fires caused by cooking appliances or other electrical equipment. These are very similar to carbon dioxide fire extinguishers, leave no residue, and are also suited for cold-weather places. Since halon is harmful to the earth’s ozone layer, the production has been phased out. There are other clean agents alternatives to halon, which are non-corrosive, non-conductive, and leave no residue.

Dry chemical

Dry chemical fire extinguishers form a soft and sticky layer on the burning surface, preventing the fuel from being in contact with the air and mitigating the fire on the spot.

Wet chemical

Wet chemical extinguishers have the capability to extinguish class K fires, which is caused by kitchen oils, fat, and grease. The extinguishing agent facilitates a chemical reaction with the grease, which in turn reduces the heat and temperature and enables mitigation of the fire at the earliest.