The extinguisher must be within easy reach, in working order and fully charged. The operator must have a clear escape route that will not be blocked by fire. The extinguisher must match the type of fire being fought. Extinguishers containing water are unsuitable for use on grease or electrical fires. The extinguisher must be large enough to put out the fire.
Many portable extinguishers discharge completely in as few as eight to ten seconds.
All fire extinguishers are labeled for the type and size of fire they can extinguish. Use the labels as a guide to purchase the kind of extinguisher that suits your needs. There are three basic classes of fires. All fire extinguishers are labeled with standard symbols for the classes of fires they can put out. A red slash through any symbol tells you the extinguisher cannot be used on that class of fire.