Fire extinguisher

What It Means

A fire extinguisher is a portable device that sprays water, dry chemical or another agent onto a fire to put it out. Each one carries letters for the kinds of fire it's approved to fight, and a multipurpose model covers several classes on one label. The U.S. Fire Administration limits its use to a small fire that stays on one object or surface, such as a pan or a wastebasket.

How It Sounds at Home

• "Where's the fire extinguisher, under the sink?"
• "Grab the ABC one from the garage."
• "Pull, aim, squeeze, sweep. I still remember it from school."

The Breakdown

Before you touch it

1. Check that the fire is small and stays on one object or surface, like a pan or a wastebasket.
2. Make sure you have a clear exit behind you, so you can back out if it spreads.
3. If either answer is no, skip the extinguisher. Get everyone out, call 911 once you're outside, and stay out.

Using it: PASS, per OSHA

1. Pull the pin, which also breaks the tamper seal.
2. Aim low, with the nozzle pointed at the base of the fire.
3. Squeeze the handle to release the agent.
4. Sweep from side to side across the base until the fire looks out.

What the letters mean, per OSHA

Try it today. Find the extinguisher in your home, read the letters on its label, and say the four PASS steps out loud while holding it (without pulling the pin).

Good to Know

The U.S. Fire Administration is clear that an extinguisher is only for a small, contained fire, and that you should keep your back to a clear exit while using one. If the fire isn't small, or it spreads, the escape planFire escape planA household's agreed way out in a fire: two exits from every room, an outside meeting place, and a drill practiced at least twice a year. See more comes first: USFA says to get out, call 911 once you're outside and not go back in for anything. Match the extinguisher to the fire: a Class A only model is approved for ordinary combustibles, while one with B and C on the label also covers flammable liquids and live electrical equipment.

Related Terms and Categories

• Fire escape plan

  A household's agreed way out in a fire: two exits from every room, an outside meeting place, and a drill practiced at least twice a year.

• Smoke detector testing

  Pressing a smoke alarm's test button once a month to make sure it sounds, and replacing the alarm 10 years after the date it was made.

• Carbon monoxide detector

  An alarm that sounds when carbon monoxide, a poisonous gas, builds up to a dangerous level in the air of a home.

• Family emergency plan

  A written plan a household agrees on ahead of time for how it will reach each other, where it will meet and what it will do in a disaster or emergency.

• Emergency kit

  A packed set of water, food, light, first aid and other basics that lets a household get through several days on its own after a disaster.

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