A fire extinguisher will put out fires, however, only when in good working order, so inspecting your extinguisher is essential. The listing means that a fire extinguisher is capable of extinguishing each of these types of fires. Dry-chemical extinguishers will be marked with the classes that they are designed to put out (for example, an abc fire extinguisher will extinguish class A, B, and C fires). Most home fires may be put out by B-class extinguishers, which are designed to put out flammable liquids such as gasoline, oil, and paint.
The department has several propane fire-burning pits which allow members to learn to use the extinguisher by practicing with it. While fire extinguisher replacements usually incur costs, Unit Fire Marshals are now able to replace their ABC dry powder, 6-kg extinguishers for no cost using a fire extinguisher replacement service. The Amerex B402 weighs similar to a First Alert PRO5 (about 10lbs) and is effective on similar types and sizes of fires.