NFPA 407: Aircraft Fuel Servicing Fire Extinguisher Requirements

Overview

NFPA 407, Standard for Aircraft Fuel Servicing, is the consensus standard for portable fire extinguishers at airport fueling operations: how many, what rating, how much agent and where they go. It applies to fixed-base operators, into-plane fueling operators, airport fuel storage operators and the refueler tank vehicles and hydrant carts they run on the apron. NFPA has published a 2027 edition. Its second draft report keeps every extinguisher clause quoted on this page word for word, with the same section numbers, so the quotes here (checked against the 2022 edition) carry over. Confirm which edition your airport or jurisdiction adopts.

The FAA cites NFPA 407 in Advisory Circular 150/5230-4C Aircraft Fuel Storage, Handling, Training, and Dispensing on Airports. The circular uses the current edition of NFPA 407 as its example throughout, and each Part 139 airport names the standard it adopts in its Airport Certification Manual. The circular is mandatory for projects funded by federal airport grants (AIP) or passenger facility charges (PFC).

Part 139 itself sets no extinguisher sizes. Under 14 CFR 139.321 the airport writes fire-safety standards for fueling that include the local fire code. It must require the fueling agents on the field to follow them, and it inspects the physical facilities of each tenant fueling agent at least once every 3 consecutive months.

Within NFPA 407 the extinguisher rules sit in §4.1.10, §4.2.7, §5.1.10, §6.1.10 and §8.1.10. The vehicle, rack and dispenser clauses share one spec: a rating of at least 40-B:C and at least 20 lb of dry chemical agent. Ramp and apron coverage goes to NFPA 410 instead. ABC ammonium phosphate is banned on fueling vehicles and on aircraft servicing ramps and aprons. It is also banned at airport fuel facilities within 500 ft of aircraft operating areas.

NFPA 407 is not the only standard in play. NFPA 10 still sets general placement, inspection, travel distance and maintenance rules. NFPA 30 governs fuel storage at the tank farm. NFPA 410 sets ramp coverage, which is where the wheeled extinguisher rule lives, and NFPA 409 covers hangars. Where the local fire code is the International Fire Code, it adds its own rule for airport fuel-dispensing stations, including the 125 lb wheeled unit described below.

Quick reference: extinguisher spec by location

Every extinguisher must conform to NFPA 10 (§4.1.10.2). ABC multipurpose dry chemical is banned on fueling vehicles and fuel servicing ramps, and at fuel facilities within 500 ft of aircraft operating areas (§4.1.10.3). The IFC rows apply where your jurisdiction adopts the International Fire Code.

What to buy for each location

Purple K (potassium bicarbonate) is a BC dry chemical, so it is allowed under the ABC ban at every location in the table. Each row below shows units whose size and rating reach that location’s minimums. Listing, mounting and the local fire marshal’s acceptance still need checking.

The ABC ammonium phosphate prohibition (§4.1.10.3)

The rule most often missed by operations that default to commodity ABC units is §4.1.10.3. Verbatim:

The reason is corrosion. NFPA 407’s own annex (A.4.1.10.3) says the ammonium phosphate agent is known to corrode aircraft components and is likely to spread to other aircraft that were not involved in the fire. The bicarbonate BC agents do not carry that warning.

Two scope notes from the rule text are worth pulling out. First, the ban on fueling vehicles and on fuel servicing ramps or aprons has no distance qualifier. ABC may not be placed on a refueler tanker, hydrant cart or servicing apron, however far it is from active aircraft. Second, the 500 ft qualifier only modifies the third item in the rule: airport fuel facilities such as the fuel farm, the loading rack and the dispenser. At those fixed facilities, ABC is banned only when the facility is within 150 m (500 ft) of aircraft operating areas. A remote bulk storage tank farm beyond that distance can use ABC unless the local fire marshal requires otherwise. ABC units inside the FBO terminal building or the maintenance hangar are not governed by §4.1.10.3 either.

Agents allowed at fueling areas

The dry chemical agents allowed under §4.1.10.3 are the BC formulations, sodium bicarbonate and potassium bicarbonate. Other agents come up at airports for other hazards.

• Potassium bicarbonate (Purple K): a BC dry chemical allowed under §4.1.10.3. A 20 lb Purple K unit is usually rated well above the 40-B:C floor, so check the label.
• Sodium bicarbonate (regular BC dry chemical): also allowed under §4.1.10.3. It carries a lower B rating per pound than Purple K, so compare the label ratings when choosing between them.
• AFFF foam: not banned by §4.1.10.3, but a foam unit does not meet the 20 lb dry chemical minimums either. Rules on AFFF made with PFAS are changing, so check current federal and state limits before buying.
• CO2: not recommended for the outdoor fueling area. NFPA 407 Annex A (A.4.1.10.1), which is advisory, says carbon dioxide extinguishers should not be selected because of their limited range and their poor effectiveness in wind. A CO2 unit also cannot meet the clauses that call for 20 lb of dry chemical agent. CO2 can still suit electrical hazards inside the FBO building.

Refueler tank vehicles (§6.1.10.1)

Verbatim §6.1.10.1: “Each aircraft fuel servicing tank vehicle shall have two listed fire extinguishers, each having a rating of at least 40-B:C and a minimum capacity of 9.0 kg (20 lb) of dry chemical agent, with one extinguisher mounted on each side of the vehicle.”

The rest of §6.1.10 covers mounting and visibility:

• §6.1.10.3: extinguishers shall be readily accessible from the ground.
• §6.1.10.4: the panel or tank surface next to or directly behind each extinguisher must be painted a color that contrasts with the extinguisher.
• §6.1.10.5: extinguishers must be kept clear of ice and snow.
• §6.1.10.6 and §6.1.10.7: if mounted in an enclosed compartment, the unit must be readily accessible and the location must be marked with letters at least 50 mm (2 in) high in a contrasting color.

A refueler that runs on public roads may also fall under DOT 49 CFR §393.95, depending on whether it counts as a commercial motor vehicle under the scope rules in 49 CFR 390.3. Where both apply, the rules are layered, not alternatives.

Hydrant fuel servicing vehicles and carts (§6.1.10.2)

Verbatim §6.1.10.2: “One listed fire extinguisher having a rating of at least 40-B:C and a minimum capacity of 9.0 kg (20 lb) of dry chemical agent shall be installed on each hydrant fuel servicing vehicle or cart.” The same mounting, accessibility, contrast and ice-clearing requirements (§6.1.10.3 through §6.1.10.7) apply. ABC ammonium phosphate is prohibited per §4.1.10.3.

Fueling vehicle loading positions and racks (§5.1.10)

Verbatim §5.1.10: “At least one fire extinguisher with a minimum rating of 40-B:C and a minimum capacity of 9.0 kg (20 lb) of dry chemical agent shall be provided at each fueling vehicle loading position or rack.”

• §5.1.10.1: a single extinguisher may serve up to two fueling vehicle loading positions on a common island.
• §5.1.10.2: travel distance to extinguishers must not exceed 15 m (50 ft).

The fuel storage and dispensing systems these loading racks feed are also governed by NFPA 30 for tank construction, separation distances and bonding.

Self-service fueling dispensers and emergency shutoffs (§8.1.10)

Chapter 8 covers self-service aircraft fueling, where someone other than the facility’s owner or operator fuels the aircraft. It has two extinguisher clauses:

• §8.1.10.1: “Each facility shall have a minimum of one fire extinguisher with a rating of at least 40-B:C and a minimum capacity of 9.0 kg (20 lb) of dry chemical agent located at the dispenser.”
• §8.1.10.2: “At least one fire extinguisher with a rating of at least 40-B:C and a minimum capacity of 9.0 kg (20 lb) of dry chemical agent shall be provided at each emergency fuel shutoff control.”

That is the same spec as the loading positions and hydrant carts, and the same ABC prohibition applies, subject to the 500 ft qualifier on the fuel facility itself.

Apron and ramp coverage (§4.1.10.1 and NFPA 410)

Verbatim §4.1.10.1: “During fueling operations, fire extinguishers shall be available on aircraft servicing ramps or aprons, in accordance with NFPA 410.” Since the 2017 edition, NFPA 407 has handed ramp coverage to NFPA 410, Standard on Aircraft Maintenance.

NFPA 410 sets the rule (numbered §10.2.11 in the 2015 edition): “Ramp operations shall have at least one wheeled extinguisher having a minimum listed rating of 80-B provided at each gate or stand or at intervals of 61 m (200 ft).” Some airports issue it directly to the airlines and tenants that work their ramps. Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International Airport did so in a 2018 memo.

NFPA 407 Annex A (A.4.2.7.1, advisory rather than mandatory) adds placement advice. Keep units out of probable spill areas. For single parking, place them along the fence, at terminal building exits or at the emergency remote control stations of the fixed fuel system. Units placed midway between gates should be no more than 60 m (200 ft) apart. Units brought out to the aircraft for a fueling, and units for double or triple parked aircraft, should sit upwind and no more than 30 m (100 ft) from the aircraft being fueled.

View wheeled fire extinguishers →

The 125 lb wheeled unit: airport fuel-dispensing stations

NFPA 407 never asks for a 125 lb unit. That figure comes from the International Fire Code, in jurisdictions that adopt it. IFC 2024 §2005.6 sets the extinguishers at an airport fuel-dispensing station by pump flow:

• Up to 200 gpm: two extinguishers rated at least 20-B:C.
• Over 200 gpm and up to 350 gpm: one listed wheeled extinguisher rated at least 80-B:C, with at least 125 lb of agent.
• Over 350 gpm: two of those wheeled units.

Every pump must be within 75 ft of an extinguisher. The same chapter asks for two 20-B:C units on each fuel tank vehicle and one on each hydrant vehicle (§2005.4 and §2005.5). A unit sized to NFPA 407’s 40-B:C and 20 lb minimum rates above that 20-B:C figure, though the IFC also sets its own listing and access requirements. Check with the local fire marshal which fire code and edition apply at your airport.

Training and inspection

FAA AC 150/5230-4C §2.1.8 calls for hands-on training in hand-held extinguishers every 24 consecutive calendar months for every fueling supervisor and every employee who handles aviation fuel. The circular is FAA guidance. It is mandatory on projects funded by federal airport grants or passenger facility charges, and it binds others when an airport writes it into its own standards. It puts the first extinguisher training within 60 days, before or after, of initial supervisory or line service fuel training, unless that course already covered it. A live fire is not required. The training uses a realistic training device, which should be about the weight and discharge of the real unit.

Inspection and maintenance follow NFPA 10: a regular inspection, typically monthly (in person or by electronic monitoring), annual maintenance by a certified person and the internal examination and hydrostatic test intervals NFPA 10 sets for each extinguisher type. For most rechargeable stored-pressure dry chemical units that means a 6-year internal exam and a 12-year hydrostatic test.

Related standards

• NFPA 10: general portable extinguisher placement, inspection, maintenance and travel distance rules. NFPA 407 §4.1.10.2 requires conformance.
• NFPA 30: flammable and combustible liquids code. It governs fuel tank construction, separation and bonding at the fuel farm that feeds the loading rack.
• NFPA 410, Standard on Aircraft Maintenance: sets the wheeled extinguisher rule for ramps that NFPA 407 §4.1.10.1 points to, plus maintenance fire protection.
• NFPA 409, Standard on Aircraft Hangars: hangar fire protection, including its own extinguisher provisions.
• International Fire Code, Chapter 20 (Aviation Facilities): extinguishers at airport fuel-dispensing stations, on fuel tank vehicles and on hydrant vehicles, where the jurisdiction adopts it.
• 14 CFR 139.321: a Part 139 airport’s fueling fire-safety standards and its inspection of each tenant fueling agent’s facilities every 3 consecutive months.
• FAA AC 150/5230-4C: the FAA’s airport fueling circular. It cites NFPA 407 and sets the §2.1.8 training cycle for fueling personnel.
• DOT 49 CFR §393.95: can apply to a refueler on public roads when it is a commercial motor vehicle under the scope rules in 49 CFR 390.3.
• 49 CFR §172.504: the hazmat placards NFPA 407 §6.1.11.3.6 requires on all four sides of fuel servicing tank vehicles.
• Halotron extinguishers for private aircraft: the clean agent guide for cockpits, cabins and hangars.

Frequently Asked Questions