Most people walk straight past a fire extinguisher without a second glance. It’s only when you’re standing in front of one, needing it, that you realise you have no idea which one to grab or how to use them. This guide answers exactly that. How many different types of fire extinguishers are there? Six, and they have their uses in very different scenarios.

Here’s the thing: fire extinguishers are not interchangeable. Using the wrong type on the wrong fire can make things considerably worse, and in some cases (water on an electrical fire, for instance) genuinely dangerous. In the UK there are six different types, each built for specific fire risks. Consider this your no-nonsense guide to knowing your CO2 from your wet chemical, and why it actually matters.

At their most basic, fire extinguishers work by removing one or more elements from the fire triangle. Fire needs three things to keep burning: heat, fuel and oxygen. Take away any one of those and the fire goes out.

Every extinguisher is a pressurised cylinder containing an extinguishing agent. Pull the safety pin, squeeze the handle, and that pressure forces the agent out through a nozzle or horn. Simple enough in principle, but the agent inside determines which fires the extinguisher can tackle safely and which it should never go near.

Different types tackle the fire triangle in different ways. Some cool the fire down, while others smother it or interrupt the chemical reaction keeping it alive. That’s what makes each type distinct and why knowing the difference matters more than most people realise.

Water mist extinguishers are a modern evolution of the traditional water extinguisher and arguably the most versatile type on this list. Same red body, but the technology inside is a significant step forward. They’ve become increasingly popular in care homes, hospitals, schools and commercial kitchens, and it’s easy to see why.

How Do Water Mist Fire Extinguishers Work?

Rather than a solid jet of water, water mist extinguishers release an ultra-fine mist of microscopic droplets. This increases the surface area in contact with the fire, cooling it faster while simultaneously displacing oxygen around the flame. The droplets are so fine that the mist is safe to use around electrical equipment up to 1000V.

What Can Water Mist Fire Extinguishers Be Used On?

Water mist extinguishers handle Class A fires (solid materials) and Class F fires involving cooking oils and fats. That combination is what sets them apart from standard water extinguishers and makes them such a practical choice in environments where multiple fire risks are present. Their suitability near live electrical equipment up to 1000V makes them incredibly versatile.

Foam extinguishers are a versatile option, identifiable by their red body and cream-coloured panel. However, water mist extinguishers are generally the preferred recommendation in most environments. They offer comparable versatility without leaving any residue to clean up, and unlike foam, they won’t cause damage if deployed near food or on delicate fabrics.

Foam remains a capable choice for workshops and commercial premises where multiple fire risks are present, but if you’re looking for a single extinguisher that covers everyday risks with minimal collateral impact, water mist is usually the better answer.

What Are Foam Fire Extinguishers Used For?

Foam works by forming a blanket over the burning material, sealing off oxygen and preventing flammable vapours from escaping and re-igniting. There’s a cooling effect too, which makes them effective on two fronts at once. Think of it as smothering and cooling simultaneously, which is a combination that makes them particularly reliable on liquid fires.

What Can Foam Fire Extinguishers Be Used On?

Foam extinguishers are rated for Class A fires (solid materials) and Class B fires covering flammable liquids like petrol and paint. That dual rating is what makes them such a practical choice where both fire risks coexist.

Foam extinguishers are usually suitable for use on live electrical equipment. Look for the dielectric test symbol on the front of the extinguisher to confirm this. Like water extinguishers, they should never be used on Class F fires involving cooking fats.

CO2 extinguishers are the clean, no-mess option. They are identifiable by their red body, black panel and distinctive hard horn rather than a standard nozzle. They are the best choice for anywhere with equipment that needs protecting, such as server rooms and offices as they leave no residue or damage.

What Can CO2 Fire Extinguishers Be Used On?

CO2 works by displacing the oxygen around a fire. Carbon dioxide is heavier than air, so it floods the area and suffocates the flames. CO2 extinguishers are rated for Class B fires (flammable liquids) and are the go-to choice for electrical fires, covering server rooms, computer-filled offices and control rooms among others.

They’re not suitable for Class A fires, as without cooling the burning material, solid fuels can re-ignite once the CO2 disperses. Worth keeping in mind if your risk assessment covers both.

A note on safety

CO2 displaces oxygen for humans as well as fires. In small or enclosed spaces, ensure ventilation after use. The horn also gets extremely cold during discharge, so always grip the insulated handle to avoid cold burns.

Powder extinguishers (often called ABC or dry powder extinguishers) are the broadest spectrum type available. Common in vehicles and outdoor spaces, you can quickly identify a powder extinguisher via its red body and blue panel.

What Are Powder Fire Extinguishers Used For?

The powder interrupts the chemical chain reaction that sustains a fire, breaking the process at a molecular level. It’s a different mechanism to cooling or smothering and it’s what gives powder its unusually wide coverage.

Dry powder extinguishers handle Class A, Class B and Class C fires. Class C covers flammable gases like LPG and natural gas, making powder one of the few types suitable for gas fires. That’s why you’ll find them in industrial environments and on commercial vehicles.

The catch? Powder is messy. It obscures visibility during use and can cause breathing difficulties in enclosed spaces. Think of it as the sledgehammer of fire extinguishers: devastatingly effective, but not remotely subtle. For most indoor settings it isn’t the first choice despite its range.

With a red body and yellow panel, wet chemical extinguishers are the specialist option. If you run a commercial kitchen, they’re non-negotiable. They exist specifically to tackle a type of fire that most other extinguishers simply cannot handle safely: burning cooking oil.

What Are Wet Chemical Fire Extinguishers Used For?

Wet chemical extinguishers work in two ways at once. The potassium-based solution reacts with burning oil to create a soapy foam layer, sealing the surface and cutting off oxygen. Simultaneously it cools the oil rapidly, reducing the risk of re-ignition once the fire is out. It’s a precise solution to a genuinely hazardous fire type, such as chip pan fires and deep fat fryers.

What Can Wet Chemical Fire Extinguishers Be Used On?

Wet chemical extinguishers are rated for Class F fires (burning cooking oils and fats) which is their primary purpose. Many models also cover Class A fires, making them a practical dual-purpose choice in kitchen environments where solid material fires are also a risk.

Outside that scope, they’re not the right tool for flammable liquids, though most Class F extinguishers are suitable for use on live electrical equipment, as they are designed for use on electrical cookers. In a kitchen setting that’s rarely a problem, but it’s worth knowing the limits before you need to act on them.

As lithium-ion batteries become increasingly common in everything from electric vehicles to e-bikes, scooters, and portable electronics, a new category of extinguisher has emerged to tackle the specific hazard they present. Class L extinguishers are designed for lithium-ion cell and battery fires, where conventional agents are largely ineffective and can sometimes make the situation worse.

Lithium-ion battery fires burn at extremely high temperatures and are prone to thermal runaway, a self-sustaining reaction that can cause a battery to repeatedly re-ignite even after it appears to have been extinguished. Class L extinguishers use specialist agents formulated to cool the battery cells rapidly and suppress this process.

These extinguishers are particularly relevant anywhere lithium-ion batteries are stored, charged, or used in significant quantities, including EV charging points, e-bike storage areas, warehouses handling battery-powered equipment, and premises with large numbers of portable devices.

Not sure which type you need at a glance? This table covers all six types, the fire classes they handle and where they’re best placed. The amber entries are the ones worth paying attention to; they flag the conditions and limitations that catch people out.  

What do we do to maintain our emergency lighting? It’s a question that doesn’t get asked nearly enough. Emergency lighting maintenance is one of those things nobody prioritises until they really, really need it. The power cuts out and suddenly those glowing green exit signs are the most important things in the building. Not to mention the fact that the law requires you to maintain emergency lighting in your building, and the stakes are higher than most people realise.

Whether you are responsible for a busy office, a bustling shop, a rented property or a sprawling commercial site, this guide covers everything you need to know when it comes to properly maintaining your emergency lighting.

  💡In This Guide

• What Is Emergency Lighting?
• What Is the Purpose of Emergency Lighting?
• Where Is Emergency Lighting Required?
• How Often Should Emergency Lighting Be Tested?
• How to Test Emergency Lighting
• Who Can Test Emergency Lighting?
• What Do We Do to Maintain Our Emergency Lighting?

Emergency lighting is a battery-backed lighting system that activates automatically when the mains power supply fails. Unlike standard light fittings, these do not rely on the grid. They have their own internal power source, so when the likes of a powercut happen, people can still see where they are going.

There are two main types: escape route lighting illuminates the path people need to follow to get out safely, while standby lighting allows normal activities to continue during a power failure. This is most common in places such as hospitals or control rooms where work simply cannot stop. Most systems are either Maintained (on all the time) or non-maintained (only activating when the mains fails). The type you need depends on how your building is used.

💡Where Is Emergency Lighting Required?

Emergency lighting is required anywhere that a loss of mains lighting would put people at risk. In practice, that means most areas of most commercial buildings. The fittings are typically needed in:

• Escape routes, including corridors and stairwells
• Open plan areas where people work or gather
• Changing rooms and toilet facilities above a certain size
• Locations housing fire fighting equipment
• Areas around fire alarm call points
• Any spot containing a hazard that someone might walk into in the dark

That last one is worth thinking about carefully. A poorly lit plant room or a stairwell with an awkward turn can be seriously dangerous without adequate lighting during an emergency.

Most commercial and public buildings will need some form of it. This includes:

• Offices and retail premises
• Schools, hospitals and care homes
• Hotels and leisure facilities
• Places of worship
• HMOs and buildings with shared communal areas

If you are unsure, a professional fire risk assessment for your premises is the right way to establish your specific requirements. Standard single-occupancy homes are generally exempt, but properties with shared areas, such as blocks of flats, will almost certainly need it in common parts like corridors and stairwells.  

Emergency lighting should be tested more often than most people realise. Emergency lighting is not a fit-and-forget installation; it needs regular, documented testing to remain compliant and, more importantly, to actually work when it is needed.

BS 5266-1:2025 (the British Standard that governs emergency lighting, updated in October 2025 to replace the previous 2016 edition) sets out a clear schedule. Here is what it looks like:

The monthly test is a quick check to confirm the system activates. The annual test is the proper stress test; it runs the batteries down to their full rated duration to confirm they can sustain the system when it counts.

Some modern systems come with self-testing functionality, where each luminaire carries out its own checks automatically and logs the results. For larger sites, this can be a genuine time-saver and is well worth considering.  

Good emergency lighting maintenance comes down to a consistent process, carried out by people who know what they are looking for every single time.

Here is what a solid regime looks like in practice:

• Monthly: A short functional test confirms all luminaires and exit signs activate correctly. Results go into the log book the same day.
• Annually: A full rated discharge test is completed, batteries are assessed, any faults are repaired and the system is certified as compliant with BS 5266-1.
• Ongoing: Any faults spotted during routine checks are dealt with promptly. A dim luminaire, a cracked fitting or a failing exit sign LED should never be left for the next scheduled test. Emergency lighting faults are not the kind of thing to add to a to-do list and forget about.

It’s also worth carrying out a visual inspection as part of your regular fire safety walkround. Fittings should be clean, undamaged, unobstructed and positioned correctly. If someone has moved a cabinet in front of an exit sign, or a new partition has been put up that leaves a dark patch in an escape route, those problems need fixing outside of the formal test schedule.

Keeping Records

This deserves its own mention, because it is the part that most often gets overlooked. A testing log is not a bureaucratic formality, but your evidence of compliance. Without it you have very little to show anyone who asks.

Your log should record every test carried out: the date and time, the name of the person responsible, the outcome and any remedial actions taken. Safelincs offers free fire safety log books to help with exactly this, ready for download instantly.

A system that has not been tested, has failing batteries or leaves dark spots in an escape route is a real risk to real people. The good news is that maintaining it properly is not complicated. A clear testing schedule, a reliable log book and competent people carrying out the checks will cover the vast majority of what you need.

If you need support, whether that is sourcing the right emergency lighting fittings and luminaires, getting clarity on your legal obligations or arranging a fire risk assessment, the Safelincs team is here and genuinely happy to help. Feel free to get in touch and we’ll answer any query you may have.  

You may not realise it, but lithium-ion (Li-ion) batteries are everywhere. Your phone, your laptop, the power drill in the garage, your kid’s e-scooter – they all run on the same rechargeable technology. Most of the time, they’re perfectly safe. When something goes wrong, however, the fire risk is a very different beast to anything we’ve traditionally dealt with. So, can you extinguish a lithium-ion battery fire? And if so, how? Let’s take a look at what fire safety technology exists to help.

This is a question that’s had the fire safety industry scratching its head for years, simply because it’s not always been clear. Traditionally, fires are split into classes based on the fuel type: Class A for solids, Class B for flammable liquids, Class D for metals, and so on. Lithium-ion battery fires never sat neatly in any of these boxes.

Unlike conventional fires, a Class L fire is driven by electrochemical reactions happening inside the battery, not just surface combustion. The battery essentially becomes its own fuel source, which is what makes it so tricky to deal with. While Class L does not currently create new UK legal duties on its own, it does mean your fire risk assessment should now explicitly consider the presence of lithium-ion batteries. If it doesn’t, it’s likely out of date.

Given that Class L fires are self-oxygenating and can reignite even after appearing extinguished, the goal shifts from “put it out” to “cool it down and contain it.” There are now products specifically designed for exactly that.

Lithium-Ion Fire Extinguishers

There are two types of extinguisher designed specifically for li-ion battery fires.

The Lithco LB6 Fire Extinguisher is a water-based extinguisher containing a special additive called P Foam. Unlike standard water extinguishers, the agent in the LB6 is designed to penetrate through the outer casing of an electrical device and reach the battery itself. It’s been rigorously third-party tested up to 360Wh battery capacity and is proven effective on li-ion fires in handheld devices, laptops and power tools. It’s also safe to use on live electrical equipment up to 1,000V, and handles Class A fires too, making it a versatile unit to have around.

The second type uses an Aqueous Vermiculite Dispersion (AVD) agent. Rather than simply suppressing flames, AVD works by surrounding the burning battery cells and forming a crust around the device, cutting off the fire and acting as a physical barrier that stops it spreading beyond the battery or device itself.

AVD extinguishers are increasingly the recommended choice for lithium-ion fire risks. Compact aerosol versions are well suited to home and workshop use, while larger AVD extinguishers can replace an entire commercial fire point, handling the same risks covered by water and CO2 units as well as Class L lithium-ion fires.

Worth noting: neither type of li-ion extinguisher is suitable for electric car fires. The sheer quantity of extinguishing agent needed makes that a job for the fire service.

If your assessment doesn’t currently account for Class L hazards, now is a good time to revisit it. If you’re not sure what equipment you need, our team at Safelincs is on hand to help, just get in touch via live chat or give us a call.