Use of Fire Extinguishers : We know that one type of fire extinguisher cannot serve the purpose on all kinds of fire. In this subsection you will study about the use of different types of fire extinguishers, fire buckets and fire blankets. How would you use a foam extinguisher, for instance? Would you just point it at a fire and force a jet of the extinguishing agent? Would you do the same with a water extinguisher or a carbon dioxide extinguisher?

There's no simple answer to any of these questions, but there is a technique to be learnt for each type of extinguisher. In the same way that you would use certain kinds of fire extinguisher for certain kinds of fire, you would use an appropriate technique for each kind of fire extinguisher. To do otherwise would be wasting valuable resources, probably at a time when these resources are most needed. The difference between knowing what fire extinguisher to use and how to use it, and not knowing this information could be the difference between life and death for someone. However, remember that fire extinguishers are usually suitable only for small fires.