You Actually Need Special Fire Extinguishers for Electronics

There’s not much time to figure out what to do when a fire breaks out. If that hypothetical seems like a bridge you’ll cross when you get to it, good luck. When it happens, your brain narrows, like a mental tunnel vision. I’d know. I’ve put out a few fires in my time.

You might even relax knowing that your workplace, apartment building, garage, or storage unit has fire extinguishers mounted in boxes on the walls for emergency use, so why bother buying your own?

Not every fire extinguisher is rated to put out electrical fires. There’s hardly a place entirely free of the threat of fire, and I know you have electronics nearby because you’re reading this. Buy a fire extinguisher rated for electrical fires. It’s a cheap piece of mind.

Here’s what to look for

Fire extinguishers are rated based on the types of combustible materials they can be used on. Class A-rated extinguishers put out fires fueled by wood, paper, cloth, and rubber. Class B refers to flammable liquids, such as gasoline, solvents, and oil-based paints.

Class C involves electrical equipment that can be electrically charged. So you need a fire extinguisher that sprays non-conductive fire retardant so that the person holding it doesn’t get electrocuted. Class D is for certain combustible materials, such as magnesium, which are uncommon, and Class K is for cooking fuel fires used in commercial restaurant kitchens.

Extinguishers can be rated for multiple uses. It’s not uncommon to find one rated ABC, meaning it handles all three types of fires. There are extinguishers rated for AC, but you may as well buy one rated ABC, since they’re inexpensive and cover a wide range of uses.

I’ve used ABC-rated extinguishers from Kidde and First Alert. I’d trust either with my home and personal safety. One will set you back only about $25.

And if you’re still not convinced, reasoning that you never think you’ll need it, nobody who’s ever needed one thought beforehand that they’d need it. Me included.