Which extinguisher is recommended for Class A fires?

The recommended extinguishers for Class A fires, which involve ordinary combustibles such as wood, paper, and cloth, are primarily water-based extinguishers like H2O extinguishers. Water extinguishers are effective because they cool the burning material below its ignition temperature, removing heat as an essential element of the fire tetrahedron.

While Halon fire extinguishers are effective for certain types of fires (particularly flammable liquid and electrical fires), they are not typically recommended for Class A fires. This is due to Halon’s gaseous nature, which may not effectively cool down solid combustibles. Therefore, although Halon can be useful in various contexts, H2O extinguishers are more suitable for directly addressing Class A fire scenarios.

Foam extinguishers, while effective for Class B fires involving flammable liquids, can also be used for Class A fires to some extent but they are not the primary recommendation. Dry chemical extinguishers can be effective on Class A fires but are better known for tackling multiple classes of fires, particularly flammable liquids and electrical fires.

Thus, the primary recommendation for Class A fires is the use of water extinguishers.