Fire Extinguishers for the Studio

By Craig Anderton

When you see pictures of studios in magazines and brochures, it always seems the single most important piece of gear is missing: A fire extinguisher. Granted, they're not the most aesthetically pleasing objects in the world, so it's not a mystery as to why they're not visible. But if the reason you don't see one is because the studio doesn't have one, then that's a serious oversight.

For studio work, it's important to know that there are different types of fire extinguishers. These are labeled as one of three classes, depending on which type of fire they're supposed to extinguish.

Class A fires are of standard combustible items--plastic, paper, cloth, wood, etc. Extinguishers designed for Class A fires are based on using pressurized water, and are not suitable for electrical fires.

Class B fires involve flammable liquids, like gas, paint, certain chemicals, and the like.

Class C fires involve wiring, computers, fuse boxes, burning insulation--precisely what you'd find in your studio.

The most common extinguishers for Class B fires use carbon dioxide (CO2), but these are also used with Class C fires too. However, deploying CO2-based extinguishers in a confined space without respiratory protection can cause problems for whoever's in the room, so for most electrical fires, Dry Chemical types are preferred. These spray a thin layer of fire retardant powder that coats the fuel, thus depriving it of oxygen.

Note that Dry Chemical types can also be multipurpose, and rated for Class A, B, and C fires, or sometimes just Class B and C fires. It's definitely worth finding multipurpose extinguishers for the studio, as an electrical fire could easily set wood furniture ablaze as well.

It's Not Just Enough To Have One

Having a fire extinguisher is a good first step, but there are two other crucial elements.

Location: Mount the fire extinguisher on a wall bracket or other location where it won't be moved. Also, give some thought as to accessibility--if you have to go past the area most likely to catch on fire, that's not a good location. I have mine located by the door, because I'll be going in that direction anyway. And if I decide I can't really fight the fire, then at least I can run out and save myself!

Inspection: Make sure that the pressure gauge is in the green (properly charged) zone, and that the tamper seal hasn't been tampered with. Any signs of corrosion or leakage are a tipoff that the extinguisher should be replaced.

Hopefully, you'll never need to use a fire extinguisher. But if you do, you'll be really, really glad you took the time to buy one.