BOATsmart! USA Knowledge Base

Module 02 - Boating Equipment

Types of Fires and Fire Extinguishers

All fire emergencies are extremely dangerous. Knowing about the different types of fires will help you to prevent fire emergencies and better prepare you to fight them.

Fire extinguishers are classified by a letter and number system. The letters describe the different types of fires that the extinguisher should be used for.

For example:

Type A:

This fire is caused by combustible solids (like wood or paper).

Type B:

This fire is caused by flammable liquids (like gasoline, oil or grease).

Type C:

This fire is caused by electrical problems (like a spark in the engine).

Type D:

This fire is caused by combustible metal materials (like titanium).

The number identifies the amount of ‘agent’ that’s inside the extinguisher. ‘Agent’ is the material that puts out the fire. The higher the number, the greater the amount of fire-fighting agent in the device. For example, the B-III fire extinguisher is capable of putting out a bigger fire than the B-I fire extinguisher.