Suppression Agents

Fire suppression agents are designated according to what type of fire they should be used on. Using the wrong type of agent on a fire could be dangerous and possibly make matters even worse. The following outline shows the most popular system used to designate suppression agents and the most common combustibles that they are designed to be used on. There are other systems used to classify suppression agents. If a different system is used one should contact the manufacturer to determine what types of fire the agent can be used on safely.

A) Type A: Used on free burning or ordinary combustibles. It is usually designated with a triangle symbol. These types of fires usually leave ashes after they burn. Type A for Ashes.

Examples: Wood Cloth Rubbers Many Plastics Most Other Solid Fuels

B) Type B: Used on flammable liquids. It is usually designated with a square symbol. These types of substances usually come in barrels. Type B for Barrels.

Examples: Oil Gasoline Paints Lacquers Greases Solvents Most Other Liquid Fuels

C) Type C: Used on electrical fires. It is usually designated with a circle symbol. Electricity travels in currents. Type C for Currents.

Examples: Fuse Boxes Breaker Boxes Energized Electrical Equipment Most Other Electrical Sources

D) Type D: Used on metal fires. It is usually designated with a star symbol. These fires are extremely dangerous and must be handled by professionals. Type D for Don't Get Involved.

Examples: Magnesium Titanium Sodium Most Other Metal Based Combustibles

E) Combination: Used on multiple types of fires. These agents are specially designed to handle more than one type of fire. They have various combinations of the above types and the symbol for each type is usually displayed.

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