Whether for your home or your workplace, you take precautions to prevent fires. Yet, from cooking or another source, fires can and do occur. Without adequate suppression, a spark quickly becomes flames that spread, generating smoke, damaging property and jeopardizing lives. To respond, equip your space or facility with a fire extinguisher designed to address relative hazards.

How Fire Extinguishers Work

Fires require oxygen, heat and a fuel source - typically a combustible or flammable material. The presence of oxygen and heat and the amount of fuel cause the flames to spread throughout a building or the outdoors.

Fire extinguishers halt this propagation through one of three methods: cooling the heat source, cutting off the fuel or reducing the available supply of oxygen. Additionally, coating the fuel source detaches it from contact with the oxygen in the air, ultimately smothering the fire until it burns out.

In order to prevent the spread of flames, fire extinguishers typically have a portable, aerosol-style design filled with water, a chemical foam or a powder. Pressing down on the lever located at the top changes the pressure inside the cylinder, releasing the substance contained inside.

Realize that especially for commercial use, fire extinguishers function as a backup to your overall fire suppression strategy.

Fire Extinguisher Classifications

Fire extinguishers have one of the following classifications:

• Class A, for putting out combustible materials like wood, paper and plastics.
• Class B, for flammable liquids, including gas and oil.
• Class C, for electrical and equipment fires.
• Class D, for putting out fires related to combustible metals like lithium or titanium.
• Class K, for extinguishing cooking fires involving oils or animal fats.

Fire extinguishers put out the blaze through one of the following methods:

• Water or another wetting or misting agent.
• Carbon dioxide (CO2), which generates a cloud of gas that leaves little to no residue.
• Foam, a thicker material that, once in contact with the fuel source, halts the combustion process.
• Dry chemicals, including sodium bicarbonate, potassium bicarbonate or ammonium phosphate, which coat the fuel source to limit its exposure to the oxygen content in the air.
• Wet chemicals, which either reduce the temperature of the heat source or smother the fuel to prevent reignition.

Shop Fire Extinguishers for Sale at Fire Safety USA

Before becoming Fire Safety USA in 2005, we started as a family-owned business selling fire extinguishers and later expanded to include a wide array of personal protective equipment and suppression solutions. Today, our team combines a selection of high-quality, affordable products for fire departments, commercial and home use with attentive customer service built on developing long-term relationships.

We're here to help you replace or upgrade your existing set of fire extinguishers. Browse solutions by class and method before placing an order online, via our call center or through our direct fax line.