GCH Projects: E3 Ranch Project Update

Fire Extinguishers and Home Safety

To maximize home safety, the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) recommends a fire extinguisher on every level of your home, and also in garages, kitchens and basements, and near exits. A fire extinguisher is most effective when the fire you are fighting is small and self-contained, when there is a clear exit behind you and when the extinguisher is used to create an exit path.

Fire extinguishers are Underwriters Laboratories® (UL) classed and rated based on the type and amount of firefighting agent inside and the types of fires the agent can put out. Firefighting agents are classed as A, B or C, and all fire extinguishers are available with some combination of the three agents. Fire extinguisher labels contain the information you need about class ratings, including icons identifying the types of fire the extinguisher will extinguish. 

Class A fire extinguishing agents are rated for fires involving ordinary household items such as wood, cloth, paper, rubber and plastics. The numerical rating on Class A extinguishers represents the extinguisher’s capacity in terms of an equivalent volume of water. For example, a 1-A extinguisher has the equivalent firefighting power of 1.25 gallons of water. A 4-A extinguisher has four times the power of a 1-A extinguisher, or the equivalent of 5 gallons of water.

Class B fire extinguishing agents are rated for fires involving flammable liquids such as kitchen grease, gasoline, oil, solvents and oil-based paint. Class B extinguishers are numerically rated based on the number of square feet of fire the material can put out. For example, a 10-B rating means the extinguisher can cover 10 square feet of fire.

Class C fire extinguishing agents are rated for fires involving energized electrical equipment, such as wiring, circuit breakers, machinery, electronics and appliances. Class C extinguishers don’t have a numerical rating.