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Which fire extinguisher should I use?

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Most people never read the label on the red cylinder on their wall. On the day of a fire there is no time to start. This tool matches what is burning to the extinguisher type that Indian standards list for it, and tells you what never to use.

It is a guide for the first minute of a small fire. If the fire is bigger than a waste-paper basket, or you are not sure, the right answer is always the same: get out, close the door and call 101 or 112.

See the full answer chartEvery fire type and all five places in one table, for reading or printing

The full answer chart

This is the same information the chooser uses, for reading or printing. The answer for your place is the row for what is burning, plus the note for where.

What to use, what never to use, and when to leave, by what is burning
What is burning	What to do or use	Never use	Leave and call 101 or 112 if
Paper, wood, clothClass A	Water, foam or ABC dry powder extinguisher. These are the types BIS lists for Class A fires: wood, paper, cloth, plastic, furniture and curtains. A small ABC dry powder extinguisher kept near the way out is a sensible start for a home.	Do not use a CO2 extinguisher on burning wood, paper, cloth or cartons. It does very little cooling, so they can flare up again once the gas drifts away.	The fire is bigger than a waste-paper basket, you are not sure which extinguisher is right, or your way out could be cut off.
Cooking oil or fatClass F	Turn off the heat only if you can do it without reaching over the pan. Do not move the pan. If the flame is small and still inside the pan, slide a lid or a flat plate over it from the side and leave it covered until the pan has cooled. A fire blanket can also be laid over a small pan fire, but only one that its maker says is suitable for oil fires. If you have no fitting lid and no such blanket, get out. If the fire is not small, or it spreads beyond the pan, leave, close the door behind you and call 101 or 112. The extinguisher marking for cooking oil and fat is Class F, which means a wet chemical extinguisher. An ABC dry powder extinguisher is not the answer for a kitchen pan fire. Use a Class F extinguisher only if you are trained, and stay well back.	Never throw or pour water on burning oil. It can create a fireball. Never pick up or carry the pan. Do not use an ABC dry powder extinguisher on a kitchen pan fire.	The fire is bigger than a waste-paper basket, you are not sure which extinguisher is right, or your way out could be cut off. The flames have spread outside the pan. You smell gas, or the LPG cylinder is close to the fire.
Electrical equipmentElectrical (adds a shock risk)	Switch off the power at the main switch or MCB first, if you can do it safely. Unplug the appliance only if you can reach the plug without touching the burning item. Then use a CO2 or ABC dry powder extinguisher. CO2 is commonly used on electrical equipment because it leaves no residue, so it is the better choice near computers and other electronics. In a small closed room, CO2 can leave too little air to breathe. Use it from the doorway and leave when it is empty. Batteries are different. NFPA says lithium-ion battery fires grow fast and are hard to put out. If an e-scooter, e-bike, power bank, laptop or inverter battery is burning, do not fight it: get out, close the door and call 101 or 112. To prevent battery fires, charge on a hard surface and never on a bed or sofa, use the charger made for that device, and keep charging devices away from exits and passages.	Never use water, or a water extinguisher, on anything that may still be live. Never try to put out a burning e-scooter, e-bike, power bank or inverter battery yourself.	The fire is bigger than a waste-paper basket, you are not sure which extinguisher is right, or your way out could be cut off. You cannot switch off the power safely. A lithium battery (e-scooter, e-bike, power bank, laptop or inverter) is burning or smoking.
Petrol, diesel, solventClass B	Foam, ABC dry powder, CO2 or a clean agent extinguisher marked for Class B. These are the types BIS lists for flammable liquids such as petrol, diesel, paint and solvents.	Do not use a water extinguisher. Water is for Class A fires only. Never throw water on a burning engine or fuel fire. It can spread burning petrol.	The fire is bigger than a waste-paper basket, you are not sure which extinguisher is right, or your way out could be cut off.
LPG or gasClass C	Do not try to put out an LPG or gas fire unless you can shut off the gas safely. Get everyone out. Call 101 or 112 from outside. For a gas leak, the LPG emergency helpline is 1906. Dry powder, clean agent and CO2 are the extinguisher types BIS lists for gas fires (Class C), and the gas supply must be shut off as well. No flame yet, only a smell of gas Do not light anything and do not touch any electrical switch. Close the burner knobs and turn the regulator off. If the valve is leaking, fit the safety cap if you can. Put out any lit lamp, agarbatti or flame. Open doors and windows by hand. Get everyone out, and call 1906 or your distributor from outside, not from inside the room. If there is a fire, or the leak will not stop, call 101 or 112. Do not go back in until the leak has been fixed.	Never put out a gas flame and leave the gas running. Do not switch any light, fan or appliance on or off, and do not light anything.	The fire is bigger than a waste-paper basket, you are not sure which extinguisher is right, or your way out could be cut off. The leak will not stop. The cylinder is close to the fire.
Metals or chemicalsClass D and chemicals	Do not fight this fire unless you are trained and have the right extinguisher. If in doubt, leave. Burning metals (Class D), such as magnesium, aluminium, sodium and titanium, need a special dry powder made for metal fires. If you do not know what is burning, or you are unsure which extinguisher is right, leave at once.	Do not use water, CO2 or ordinary dry powder on burning metal. Some metals react violently with them. Do not guess with chemicals. Leave them to trained responders.	The fire is bigger than a waste-paper basket, you are not sure which extinguisher is right, or your way out could be cut off. You do not know what the material is.
Battery, e-scooter, power bank, inverterLithium-ion battery	Do not try to put it out. Get everyone out, close the door behind you and call 101 or 112. Lithium-ion battery fires grow fast, spread rapidly, give off toxic smoke and are hard to put out. A small extinguisher will not stop one. Raise the alarm so that everyone gets out, and call 101 or 112 from outside. Do not go back in for a phone, a bag or the vehicle. To prevent battery fires, charge on a hard surface and never on a bed or sofa, use the charger made for that device, and keep charging devices away from exits and passages. Never leave a battery charging unattended or while you are asleep.	Never try to put out a burning e-scooter, e-bike, power bank or inverter battery yourself. Never block an exit or passage with a charging e-scooter or e-bike.	The fire is bigger than a waste-paper basket, you are not sure which extinguisher is right, or your way out could be cut off. A battery is burning or smoking. You cannot get everyone out quickly.
Not sure / something elseLeave	Do not try to find out. Get out, close the door behind you and call 101 or 112. If you do not know what is burning, do not fight the fire. Get everyone out. In a flat, take the stairs, never the lift, and do not go back in.	Never guess an extinguisher. The wrong one can make some fires worse.	The fire is bigger than a waste-paper basket, you are not sure which extinguisher is right, or your way out could be cut off.

What changes by place

What changes by place
Where	What to know
Home	At home, keep a small ABC dry powder extinguisher near the way out, not behind the stove, and read its label so you know which fire classes it covers. In a flat, always use the stairs, never the lift.
Shop	In a shop, ask a competent fire-safety person to assess the premises and check your local fire department's requirements before you buy or place extinguishers. Do not choose by colour. Read the class marking on the label.
Office	In an office, a CO2 extinguisher near the electrical panel or server room is common, but keep one suitable for paper and furniture nearby as well. Ask a competent fire-safety supplier which types your premises need.
Vehicle	In a vehicle fire, getting out comes first. Stop safely, switch off, get everyone out and move well away and upwind: fire services advise at least 30 metres. Do not open the bonnet or boot. Call 112 or 101. Only if the fire is very small, everyone is already out and you have an extinguisher in hand should you think of fighting it, and then aim through the radiator grille or under the edge of the bonnet. A small dry powder extinguisher within the driver's reach is worth carrying. Portable extinguishers sold in India must meet IS 15683 and carry the ISI mark, from February 2024 for large makers and a little later for small ones.
Factory	In a factory, extinguishers must be chosen for that site's own hazards by a competent person, following IS 2190:2024 and the National Building Code. Fight a fire only if it is small, you are trained and your way out is behind you. Do not assume a portable extinguisher can stop a lithium-ion battery fire.
Shop: paper, wood, cloth	In a shop, keep the way out clear of stock and cartons at all times. Paper, cloth and cartons are Class A fires. Ask a competent fire-safety person to assess the premises and check your local fire department's requirements before you buy or place extinguishers.
Factory: paper, wood, cloth	In a factory or godown, keep exits and passages clear of stock. Class A stock fires spread quickly, so fight one only if it is small and your way out is behind you.
Home: cooking oil or fat	In a home kitchen, ABC dry powder is not the answer for a pan fire. For a small flame inside the pan, use the lid method above. If you keep an extinguisher for the kitchen, it should be a Class F one, kept near the way out and not beside the stove.
Shop: cooking oil or fat	In a food shop, stall or canteen the same applies: ABC dry powder is not the answer for a burning pan or fryer. Ask a competent fire-safety supplier for a Class F extinguisher for the cooking area, and keep the way out clear.
Office: cooking oil or fat	An office pantry or canteen follows the same rule: a lid on a small flame, a suitable fire blanket, or a Class F extinguisher if you are trained. ABC dry powder is not the answer for a pan.
Factory: cooking oil or fat	In a factory canteen or any hot-oil process the same rule applies: a lid on a small flame, never water, and no ABC dry powder on a pan. Choosing extinguishers for the site itself is a job for a competent person.
Shop: electrical equipment	In a shop, switch off at the main switch or the MCB of that circuit before anything else. Keep stock and cartons clear of the electrical board, and keep the way out clear. Ask a competent fire-safety person to assess the premises.
Office: electrical equipment	In an office, a CO2 extinguisher near the electrical panel or server room is common; the UK Health and Safety Executive names CO2 for electrical fires. Switch off the power first if you can do it safely, and keep a second extinguisher suited to paper and furniture nearby.
Factory: electrical equipment	In a factory, electrical panels, DG sets and transformers need a fire plan made by a competent person. Switch off if it is safe to do so, and leave a transformer or oil-filled equipment fire to trained responders.
Home: battery, e-scooter, power bank, inverter	At home, charge e-scooter, e-bike and power-bank batteries on a hard surface, away from the way out and from beds and sofas, and only while you are awake and in the house.
Shop: battery, e-scooter, power bank, inverter	In a shop, do not charge batteries among stock and cartons or near the way out. Keep the way out clear. Ask a competent fire-safety person to assess the premises.
Office: battery, e-scooter, power bank, inverter	In an office, do not charge e-scooter or e-bike batteries in a passage or near an exit. Do not assume a portable extinguisher can stop a lithium-ion battery fire.
Factory: battery, e-scooter, power bank, inverter	In a factory, battery charging and storage need a fire plan made by a competent person. Do not assume a portable extinguisher can stop a lithium-ion battery fire.
Vehicle: electrical equipment	In an electric car, never try to put out a battery fire yourself. A small car extinguisher will not stop it. Get out, move away and stay upwind of the smoke.
Vehicle: lpg or gas	In a CNG car, close the cylinder valve only if you can reach it easily and nothing is burning. If the fire is near the boot, stay far away and leave it to the fire brigade.
Vehicle: battery, e-scooter, power bank, inverter	In an electric vehicle, never try to put out a battery fire yourself. A small car extinguisher will not stop it. Get out, move away and stay upwind of the smoke.

Fight a small fire only if all of these are true

The fire is small and just starting, about the size of a waste-paper basket.
You have the right extinguisher for that fire and know how to use it.
Your way out is behind you and clear.
The room is not filling with smoke.

Leave at once, close the door behind you and call 101 or 112. In a flat, take the stairs, never the lift.

How to use an extinguisher: PASS

Pull the safety pin.
Aim the nozzle at the base of the fire, not at the flames.
Squeeze the handle.
Sweep from side to side across the base of the fire.

Stand a few steps back with your exit behind you. A small extinguisher empties in seconds, so do not waste it. If the fire does not go down quickly, stop and get out.

How we know

Most lines above come from our own published guides, which cite the Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS). The pan-fire, battery and gas-smell steps also draw on the fire-service and oil-company pages listed below. Last checked 20 October 2026.

Our guides

Fire Extinguisher Types in India: Which One Works on Which FireFor fire classes A, B, C, D and F and the extinguishers BIS lists for each; when to fight and when to leave.
Choosing a Fire Extinguisher for Your Home in IndiaFor wet chemical for Class F, not ABC powder; CO2 for electrical; placement.
Fire Extinguisher Basics: Parts, Fire Classes and Monthly ChecksFor water is for Class A; never water on burning oil or live electrics.
When Is a Carbon Dioxide Fire Extinguisher Dangerous to Use?For CO2 in small closed rooms; not for wood, paper or cloth; switch off power first.
Car Fire Safety in IndiaFor vehicle fires, engine fires and water, EV and CNG, IS 15683 and ISI mark.
PPE for Different Fire Types: Class A to FFor burning metals and the agents they need.
Electrical Safety at HomeFor CO2 or ABC powder on a small electrical fire; switch off the power.
Kitchen Gas Leak AccidentsFor what to do if you smell gas; the LPG helpline 1906.

Standards

IS 2190:2024, the Indian Standards code of practice for selecting, installing and maintaining first-aid fire extinguishers (as listed in the BIS compendium and described in our guides). BIS: compendium on fire extinguishers
IS 15683:2018, the Indian Standard for portable fire extinguishers. Under the Fire Extinguishers (Quality Control) Order, 2023, extinguishers sold in India must meet it and carry the ISI mark: from about February 2024 for large makers, and later for small and micro ones. BIS: the Order
IS 15683 recognises a Class F fire rating for cooking oil and fat. BIS explains the fire classes and the standards on its blog. BIS: standards on fire extinguishers
National Building Code of India 2016, Part 4 (Fire and Life Safety), which sets the fire protection a building needs.

Fire-service and oil-company guidance

HPCL (Hindustan Petroleum), consumer guidance for LPG users: what to do if you smell gas. Indian oil-company advice. HPCL: consumer guidance
NFPA (USA), Educational Messages Desk Reference: a lid on a small pan fire, never water on grease, and lithium-ion battery fires (get out and stay out). Also US Fire Administration cooking and battery pages. USFA: cooking fires
London Fire Brigade: pan fires, and what to do if an e-bike or e-scooter catches fire (get out, do not tackle it). LFB: e-bike and e-scooter fires
Hampshire and Isle of Wight Fire and Rescue and Cornwall Fire and Rescue (UK): a fire blanket over a small pan fire, and no extinguisher on a pan of oil. Cornwall Fire and Rescue: kitchen fires
NSW Rural Fire Service (Australia), "Incidents - Common Flammable Gases": fire-service guidance on incidents involving flammable gases such as LPG.
NFPA 1001 (USA), Firefighter II job performance requirement 5.3.3, "Controlling flammable gas cylinder fires": a firefighter training task. Together they support the guidance that a burning gas leak is dealt with by controlling the gas, and that trained responders do it. This is fire-service guidance from other countries, not an Indian rule.
London Fire Brigade (UK): charge e-bike and e-scooter batteries on a hard, flat surface, away from a main through-route or exit, and never leave a battery charging unattended or while you are asleep. LFB: charging e-bikes and e-scooters safely

The lid, fire-blanket and battery-fire steps come from fire-service guidance in the UK and USA (listed above) and from our own posts on cooking-oil fires. We have not found an Indian government page that gives them, so they are general fire-service advice, not an Indian rule.

This tool is general safety information for the first minute of a small fire. It does not replace training, a fire-safety assessment of your premises or the advice of your local fire department.

Common questions

Which fire extinguisher is best for a home in India?

No single portable extinguisher is right for every fire. For general home use, a small ABC dry powder extinguisher kept near the way out is a sensible start. For burning cooking oil, look for an extinguisher marked Class F, which is a wet chemical type. An ordinary ABC dry powder extinguisher is not the answer for a kitchen pan. Always read the class marking on the label rather than choosing by colour.

Can I use water on a cooking-oil fire?

No. Water can create a fireball when it hits burning oil. If the flame is small and still inside the pan, slide a lid or a flat plate over it from the side, turn off the heat only if you can do it safely, and do not move the pan. If the fire is not small or it spreads, leave and call 101 or 112.

Is a CO2 extinguisher safe on an electrical fire?

CO2 is commonly used on electrical equipment because it leaves no residue. Switch off the power at the main switch or MCB first if you can do it safely. In a small closed room, CO2 can push out the air you breathe, so use it from the doorway and leave when it is empty.

When should I not use an extinguisher at all?

Use one only if the fire is small and just starting, you have the right extinguisher and know how to use it, your way out is behind you and clear, and the room is not filling with smoke. If any of these is untrue, leave at once and call 101 or 112.

What are the fire classes in India?

Indian Standards group fires as Class A (ordinary solids such as wood, paper and cloth), B (flammable liquids), C (flammable gases such as LPG), D (burning metals) and F (cooking oil and fat). Live electrical equipment is not a separate class. It adds a shock risk, so the power should be switched off if that can be done safely.

Which fire extinguisher should I use?

Fire extinguisher chooser

The full answer chart

What changes by place

Fight a small fire only if all of these are true

How to use an extinguisher: PASS

How we know

Our guides

Standards

Fire-service and oil-company guidance

Common questions

More free safety tools

Which fire extinguisher should I use?

Fire extinguisher chooser

The full answer chart

What changes by place

Fight a small fire only if all of these are true

How to use an extinguisher: PASS

How we know

Our guides

Standards

Fire-service and oil-company guidance

Read the guides behind this tool

Common questions

More free safety tools