prior to fighting any fire with a portable fire extinguisher, what should you take into account?
Before fighting any fire with a portable extinguisher, you must quickly judge whether it is safe to even try, then whether you have the right equipment and a safe way out.
Key things to take into account
Think of a fast mental checklist before you even touch the extinguisher:
- Your personal safety
- Are you trained and confident using a portable extinguisher?
* Can you stay low and avoid breathing in heavy smoke or toxic fumes?
* Are you already feeling heat on your face or having trouble seeing/breathing? If yes, evacuate immediately.
- Size and stage of the fire
- Is the fire small and contained (for example, about the size of a wastebasket or a small cooking pan)?
* Is it still in the early stage and not spreading rapidly along walls, ceilings, or multiple objects?
* Any sign of rapid spread, flashover risk, or multiple sources of fire means you should leave, not fight.
- Type of fire vs. type of extinguisher
- What is burning: ordinary combustibles (paper, wood, cloth), flammable liquids (fuel, oil, solvents), gases, electrical equipment, or metals?
* Do you have the correct class of extinguisher (e.g., Class A, B, C, etc.) for that fuel? Using water on flammable liquids or energized electrical fires can spread the fire or cause electrocution.
* If you are not sure of the fuel or your extinguisher type, evacuate and close doors behind you.
- Escape route and position
- Do you have a clear, unobstructed escape route directly behind you that the fire cannot easily cut off?
* Can you position yourself so your back is always toward the exit while you attempt to extinguish the fire?
* If the path behind you could be blocked by smoke, flames, or debris in seconds, do not attempt to fight it.
- Alarm and emergency response
- Has the fire alarm been activated and has someone already called the fire department or emergency services?
* Is everyone else in the area evacuating, especially people who are not directly assisting?
* Never delay calling the fire brigade while you “see if you can put it out.” Get help moving immediately.
- Condition and readiness of the extinguisher
- Is the extinguisher in good condition: no visible damage, no leakage, nozzle clear, pin and tamper seal intact?
* Is the pressure gauge in the green zone, not in the “recharge” or “empty” area?
* Is the unit appropriate size-wise for the incident (a tiny home extinguisher may not cope with a fast-growing fire)?
When you should NOT fight the fire
If any of the following apply, you should evacuate immediately, close doors behind you if possible, and wait for firefighters:
- The fire is spreading quickly or has already grown beyond a small, contained area.
- The room is filling with thick smoke, heat is intense, or you risk smoke inhalation.
- You don’t know what is burning or what class of extinguisher you are holding.
- You do not have a clear escape route behind you.
- You are not trained or are uncertain how to operate the extinguisher safely.
A simple way many safety programs describe the decision process is: only fight the fire if it is small, you have the right extinguisher, everyone else is leaving, emergency services are called, and your back is to a safe exit.
If it is safe to proceed
If—and only if—you have satisfied the points above, you can move in carefully and use the PASS method (Pull, Aim, Squeeze, Sweep) while backing toward the exit and watching for re-ignition.
If the extinguisher runs out or the fire does not go out quickly, stop, evacuate, and close the door if possible to slow the spread.
TL;DR: Prior to fighting any fire with a portable fire extinguisher, you must confirm your personal safety, the fire’s size and type, the correct extinguisher, a clear escape route, and that others are evacuating and the fire department has been called.
Information gathered from public forums or data available on the internet and portrayed here.