Russo Fire Provides full service of Portable Fire Extinguishers. From supplying and installing new units to providing full service of existing Extinguishers including recharging, Hydrostatic testing and regular maintenance inspections.

For more information on Portable Fire Extinguisher use, see the Extinguisher section in Workplace safety under the Information heading of this site.

Before talking about Fire Extinguishers, one very important point must be made, and this can not be overstressed;

Using the wrong type of Extinguisher can be useless, or even make the fire worse. Make sure the Extinguisher being used is the correct type for the Fire being fought.

Portable Fire Extinguishers are all designed to perform the same function, extinguish a fire. To understand how an Extinguisher works, we must first understand what Fire is and how it works. This is described in the What is Fire section under Information.

All Portable Fire Extinguishers work the same way, buy removing one or more of the 4 requirements of combustion. The way a Portable Fire Extinguisher actually does this is dependent on the type of agent it uses.

Water:

A Water Extinguisher uses pressurized water that cools the fuel thus removing the required heat for self sustaining combustion.

Foam:

Like a Water Extinguisher, a Foam Extinguisher uses pressurized water with a foaming agent that performs two functions. First it covers the fuel with a layer foam which blocks oxygen reaching the fuel, and second it cools the fuel thus removing the required heat for self sustaining combustion.

Dry Chemical:

A Dry Chemical Extinguisher uses a dry chemical powder that performs two functions. First it covers the fuel with a layer of powder which blocks oxygen reaching the fuel, and second, when heated the chemical produces carbon dioxide which also aids in removing the oxygen from contact with the fuel. The type of chemical used in the extinguisher determines its class rating.

Carbon Dioxide (CO2):

A CO2 Extinguisher uses pressurized Carbon Dioxide gas that performs two functions. First it covers the fuel with a layer of CO2 (heavier than air) which blocks oxygen reaching the fuel, and second it cools the fuel thus removing the required heat for self sustaining combustion (the carbon dioxide gas released from the extinguisher is at a sub zero temperature).

Halogenated Agents (Halon, Halocarbon):

A Halogenated (or sometimes called Clean) agent Extinguisher functions differently than all other extinguishers, as its main function is to "interfere" with the chemical reaction of combustion. It uses pressurized gas that breaks the chemical reaction chain, thus ending combustion .Despite erroneous beliefs it does this WITHOUT removing the oxygen from the fuel (see FAQ and Myths).

Wet Chemical:

A Wet Chemical Extinguisher uses a Wet chemical solution that performs three functions. First it covers the fuel with a layer of solution which itself interferes with the combustion chemical chain reaction. Second, the agent cools the fuel bringing it below the temperature of combustion. Third, the agent reacts with the hot grease forming a soap like layer (saponification ) which blocks the escape of combustible vapors thus preventing re-ignition. This type of Extinguisher is used for grease fires on commercial cooking appliances.

Dry Powder:

A Dry Powder Extinguisher is used for fires generated by reactive (sometimes called combustible) metals. These fires are special as they do not require heat, but rather create immense heat by "oxidation". A Dry Powder Extinguisher uses a dry powder (a powdered salt) that covers the fuel with a layer of powder forms a "skin" that blocks oxygen reaching the fuel.

There are four listed classes of fire, each one dealing with a specific material or hazard.

Class A Fires:

Fires in ordinary combustible materials, such as wood, cloth, paper, rubber, and many plastics.

Class B Fires:

Fires in flammable liquids, oils, greases, tars, oil-base paints, lacquers, and flammable gases.

Class C Fires:

Fires that involve energized electrical equipment where the electrical non-conductivity of the
extinguishing media is of importance. (When electrical equipment is de-energized, fire extinguishers for Class A or B fires may be used safely.)

Class D Fires:

Fires in combustible metals, such as magnesium, titanium, zirconium, sodium, lithium, and potassium.

Extinguisher Rating:

Fire Extinguishers are rated for particular classes of fires, and bear this rating on the Extinguishers label. Fire extinguishers also have a number rating. For Type A fires, a 1 would stand for 1 1/4 gallons of water, a 2 would represent 2 1/2 gallons, 3 would be 3 3/4 gallons of water, etc. For Type B and Type C fire, the number represents square feet. For example, 2 would be two square feet, 5 is five square feet, etc.

Fire extinguishers can also be made to extinguish more than one type of fire. For example, you might have an extinguisher with a label that reads 2A5B. This would mean this extinguisher is good for Type A fires with a 2 1/2 gallon equivalence and it is also good for Type B fires with a 5 square feet equivalency. The number values will increase with the size of the Extinguisher, as Dry Chemical Extinguishers come in 5lb, 10lb and 20lb sizes. The larger the number, the more agent you will have to use on the fire.

		Class A Extinguishers will put out fires in ordinary combustibles, such as wood and paper. The numerical rating for this class of fire extinguisher refers to the amount of water the fire extinguisher holds and the amount of fire it will extinguish.
		Class B Extinguishers should be used on fires involving flammable liquids, such as grease, gasoline, oil, etc. The numerical rating for this class of fire extinguisher states the approximate number of square feet of a flammable liquid fire that a non-expert person can expect to extinguish.
		Class C Extinguishers are suitable for use on electrically energized fires. This class of fire extinguishers does not have a numerical rating. The presence of the letter “C” indicates that the extinguishing agent is non-conductive.
		Class D Extinguishers are designed for use on flammable metals and are often specific for the type of metal in question. There is no picture designator for Class D extinguishers. These extinguishers generally have no rating nor are they given a multi-purpose rating for use on other types of fires.
		Class K Extinguishers are designed for use on fires involving high temperature flammable liquids such as cooking oils and fats used in commercial restaurants. This new Class was added into the The 1998 edition of NFPA-10 to specifically address commercial "combustible cooking media" fire hazards in kitchens.

Multiple Rated Extinguishers:

Many Extinguishers carry multiple ratings and can be used on different types of fires. Here are some of the common one in use today.

ABC:

This is a general purpose use Extinguisher that can be used on most fires, but should NOT be used on a grease fire.

BC:

This is an Extinguisher that is designed to be used on Flammable liquid fires, and since it has a C rating It can be used in areas where there the possibility of coming into contact with electricity exists. If it caries a minimum rating of 40BC it can be used on commercial "combustible cooking media" fire hazards in kitchens.