Security on todays buildings is not the same as it was in the past. Today you have portable fire extinguishers, safe zones, sprinklers, escape routes and fire extinguisher signs. All of them have been created to reduce the risk of suffering a fatality due to an accident. Thanks to these measures, thousands of lives have been saved around the world.

Categories of Fire Extinguishers

There are several types of fire extinguishers. They have been specially designed for determined types of burning material. Why? As we have gained more experience on this theme, we have learned that some extinguishing agents are better than others when you use them on wood, liquids or electrical equipment.

Class A Fire Extinguisher

This type of extinguisher was created for combustible materials based on cellulose, like paper, wood or cardboard, or materials like cloth, Styrofoam, trash or plastics. Its markings are a green triangle with an A inside and a black square with burning wood and a burning trashcan.

Class B Fire Extinguisher

It involves flammable liquids and greases. Some examples are gasoline, kerosene, oil, paint, solvent and rubber cement. It is represented by a B within a red square and a black square with a burning gas can.

Class C Fire Extinguisher

The Class C extinguishers are those made for electrical fires. Represented by a blue circle with a C inside and a square with a burning plug and socket, they were created for extinguishing fires created within a computer, an appliance or a fuse box.