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Safety Tips

Common fire extinguishing methods for families

Cool it, smother it, starve it or interrupt the chain reaction — and know the four home fires you should never fight with water.

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Safety Tips Published 2026-08-13 Reading time 6 min
Fire spreading through a timber roof space above a ceiling
Fire spreading through a timber roof space above a ceiling

Every fire is extinguished by one of four mechanisms. Understanding them turns a confusing situation into a short, simple decision — and knowing when not to fight a fire is at least as important as knowing how.

Key takeaways

  • Cooling (water), smothering (foam, lid, blanket), starvation (closing a valve, removing fuel) and chemical inhibition (dry powder) are the four ways a fire goes out.
  • Never throw water on burning cooking oil, on live electrical equipment, or on a gas flame.
  • Escape first, then call the fire service. A home fire doubles in size roughly every minute.
  • Once you leave a burning building, never go back inside.

The four ways a fire goes out

  • Cooling — remove the heat. Water absorbs a large amount of heat as it turns to steam. This is why water is the right answer for ordinary solids: wood, paper, textiles, rubbish.
  • Smothering — remove the oxygen. A lid on a pan, a fire blanket, or a layer of foam separates the fuel from the air.
  • Starvation — remove the fuel. Closing the gas valve, turning off the fuel supply to a heater, or moving nearby combustibles out of reach.
  • Chemical inhibition — interrupt the chain reaction. Dry chemical powder is the only common domestic medium that works this way; it is why ABC powder knocks flames down so quickly.

The four home fires — and the correct first action

FireNeverCorrect first action
Pan of cooking oilNever water — it flashes instantly and spreads the fire over the whole kitchen Turn off the heat. Slide a lid or a fire blanket across the pan and leave it for at least 15 minutes. Use a Class F/K wet chemical extinguisher if one is at hand.
Live electrical equipmentNever water while the power is on Switch off at the breaker or pull the plug. Then use CO2 or dry powder. If the wiring itself smells of burning, get out and call the fire service.
Gas leak or gas flameNever strike a match, switch a light, or use a phone near the leak; never try to put out a gas flame while gas is still flowing Shut the supply valve if you can reach it safely. Open windows. Leave the building and call for help from outside.
Ordinary solids (sofa, curtains, paper bin)Never open a window or a door to “let the smoke out” — the draught feeds the fire Water or an ABC extinguisher only while the fire is still small and you have a clear way out behind you.

Plan before you need it

  1. Smoke alarms on every level and in every sleeping area, tested monthly.
  2. One extinguisher in the kitchen, one near the exit, both checked monthly and serviced annually. Keep them where you can reach them with your back to the door.
  3. A fire blanket in the kitchen — the cheapest and most reliable answer to a pan fire.
  4. A written escape plan with two ways out of each room and one agreed meeting point outside.
  5. Teach the sequence: raise the alarm, get everyone out, call the fire service, and only then consider a contained fire.

When to fight and when to leave

Fight a fire only if all four of these are true: the fire is small and not spreading, the room is not filling with smoke, you have a clear escape route behind you, and you have the right extinguisher. If any one of them is not true, close the door, get everyone out, and call the fire service.

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