Fire Extinguishers

There are a range of fire extinguishers on the market suitable for home use, however the most common fire extinguisher for the home is the dry chemical extinguisher. These can be ordered via CFA's Fire Equipment Maintenance website at www.fem.cfa.vic.gov.au or purchased from your local hardware store.

The following table indicates the different types of extinguishers and what they can be used on.

Type	Colour	Use
Dry chemical	Red and white band	Paint, petrol, cooking, electrical, motor vehicle fires

Water	Red	Wood, cloth, plastic and paper fires
Foam	Blue	Flammable liquid fires
Carbon dioxide	Red and black band	Electrical, cooking, petrol and motor vehicle fires

Wet chemical	Beige	Cooking oil fires
Vapourising liquid	Red and yellow band	Petrol, motor vehicle and electrical fires

Instructions for Use of a Dry Chemical Extinguisher

Remove the extinguisher from the wall bracket and carry it as close to the fire as possible
Remove the ring pin and free the nozzle
Hold the extinguisher upright, and point the nozzle in the direction of the fire
Squeeze the discharge lever
Direct the stream of chemical to the base of the flames
Spray rapidly from side to side.

Find the Your Home Fire Safety brochure in the Home Safety page of the Publications section.