The blue-labelled extinguisher is not suitable for which type of fire?

• A. Cooking oils/Fats
• B. Wood/Textiles/Papers
• C. Electrical fires
• D. Flammable liquids

Answer: (A)

Knowing extinguishers by their color helps you match the tool to the fire class. The blue-labelled extinguisher is a dry powder type. Dry powder is versatile and can tackle many fires (like ordinary combustibles, flammable liquids, and some electrical fires), but it isn’t the best option for cooking oils and fats.

Cooking oil or fat fires are Class F (or K in some systems) and require a wet-chemical extinguisher. Wet chemical extinguishers work by saponifying fats, creating a soapy layer that cools and seals the oil surface, which smothers the fire without splashing it. Dry powder, on the other hand, can spread the oil or leave a messy residue that doesn’t effectively suppress the high-heat, surface-burning oil fires and can complicate cleanup in a kitchen.

So the blue-labelled extinguisher isn’t suitable for cooking oils and fats, while it can be appropriate for many other fire types.