How does a fire extinguisher work and which type should you use?

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1. 1

   Fire extinguisher (Wikipedia)

   WikipediaPublished Oct 15, 2026Checked Oct 17, 2026

   “A fire extinguisher is a handheld active fire protection device filled with extinguishing agents such as dry chemical powder, CO2, water, etc. used to extinguish or control small fires, often in emergencies. It is not intended for use on an out-of-control fire, such as one which has reached the ceiling, endangers the user (i.e., no escape route, smoke, explosion hazard, etc.), or otherwise requires the equipment, personnel, resources or expertise of a fire brigade. Typically, a fire extinguisher consists of a hand-held cylindrical pressure vessel containing an agent that can be discharged to extinguish a fire. Fire extinguishers manufactured with non-cylindrical pressure vessels also exist, but are less common. There are two main types of fire extinguishers: stored-pressure and cartridge-operated. In stored-pressure units, the expellant is stored in the same chamber as the firefighting agent itself. Depending on the agent used, different propellants are used. With dry chemical extinguishers, nitrogen is typically used; water and foam extinguishers typically use air. Stored pressure fire extinguishers are the most common type.”

2. 2

   Effects of thermal aging on the performance of ordinary and novel superhydrophobic and oleophobic ultra-fine dry powder extinguishing agent.

   Scientific reports (Liu et al.)Published Jan 29, 2025Checked Oct 17, 2026

   “The results indicate that SHOU DPEA exhibits smaller particle size, more regular particle shape, significantly superior heat stability and flowability compared to ODPEA. Furthermore, the D90 value evolution of ODPEA with aging time exhibits two stages: (a) a slow and linear growth stage (0-160 days), and (b) a rapid and substantial growth stage (160-200 days). However, SHOU DPEA shows a gradual increase in D90 value throughout the entire accelerated aging process. After 160 days of aging or more, the performance of ODPEA has significantly deteriorated, while SHOU DPEA has shown less degradation. Specially, the extinguishing concentration for the 160-day-aged ODPEA exceeds that of non-aged ODPEA by 10%, whereas the concentration of the 200-day-aged SHOU DPEA is less than 10% of the non-aged counterpart. Additionally, the predicted lifespans for ODPEA and SHOU DPEA at room temperature (25 °C) are 2715 days and over 4525 days, respectively. These findings can provide valuable guidance for assessments and the selection of aviation fire extinguishing agents.”

3. 3

   Using the Burning of Polymer Compounds to Determine the Applicability of the Acoustic Method in Fire Extinguishing.

   Polymers (Loboichenko et al.)Published Dec 4, 2024Checked Oct 17, 2026

   “The features of the use of fire extinguishing agents are analyzed, and it is noted that the acoustic method is a promising, inexpensive, and environmentally friendly approach for use in extinguishing fires. The ideas about the capabilities of this method using the combustion of various polymers were further developed, which is the novelty of the work. As the main results, it is proposed to use the angle of incidence, concentration of suspended particles, temperature, and wave resistance of the environment as special correction factors for acoustic sensors when monitoring in a smoky space. The possibility of using the combustion parameters of organic compounds to determine the properties of acoustic waves in a smoke-filled area is shown. The perspective of implementing the results obtained in the practice of fire prevention and liquidation was observed to increase the efficiency of fire extinguishing and increase the safety of the population and personnel of special services. The proposed approach can become part of the ecological and economic innovations of municipal communities and national strategies to achieve the goals of sustainable development.”

4. 4

   Acoustic Waves and Their Application in Modern Fire Detection Using Artificial Vision Systems: A Review.

   Sensors (Basel, Switzerland) (Wilk-Jakubowski et al.)Published Feb 4, 2025Checked Oct 17, 2026

   “This paper presents information on the propagation patterns of acoustic waves and their practical application, in particular, in modern fire detection methods that use artificial vision systems and video cameras as intelligent sensors. In practice, the use of artificial intelligence allows the detection of flames in places where the use of typical sensors is impossible or severely limited. Such a system can work together with environmentally friendly acoustic flame extinguishing technology as a standalone platform, or it may cooperate with other modules, which is a new approach in the field of fire protection. An analysis shows that the presented eco-friendly methods outperform other methods, with many advantages. In the future, the acoustic method can be used for the monitoring and early detection of fires in factory buildings or objects of high cultural, religious, and historical value, while an acoustic extinguisher equipped with artificial vision systems can be successfully used to extinguish fires.”