Fire Extinguishers

Q: What is a Class C fire extinguisher?

A Class C fire extinguisher uses a non-conductive agent rated for fires in energized electrical equipment, so the agent will not carry current back to the person using it. Halotron clean agent and CO2 are the common residue-free Class C options; ABC dry chemical also carries a C rating but leaves a corrosive residue.

Q: Halotron or CO2 for a server room?

Both are residue-free and non-conductive. Halotron carries a Class A rating in addition to B and C, so a single unit covers combustibles, liquids, and electrical, and it streams farther, which suits larger rooms. CO2 is the lower-cost option for tight electrical spaces but has no Class A rating and can displace oxygen in a small enclosed room. Many facilities keep both.

Q: Can I use an ABC extinguisher on electronics?

It will put the fire out, because ABC dry chemical is Class C rated, but the powder is corrosive and conductive once it settles. On servers, drives, and control boards it causes secondary damage that often exceeds the fire damage, which is why clean agent or CO2 is preferred anywhere you are protecting electronics.

26 products in this collection ↓

Fire extinguishers are rated by the class of fire they fight, and matching the agent to the hazard is the difference between stopping a fire and making the damage worse. Class A covers ordinary combustibles like wood, paper, and trash. Class B covers flammable liquids. Class C covers energized electrical equipment, where the agent has to be non-conductive. Class K covers cooking oils and fats. We stock Buckeye portable extinguishers across these fire classes, made in Kings Mountain, NC.

For flammable-liquid (Class B) hazards, see our Class B fire extinguisher guide on choosing between CO2, Purple K, and dry chemical, including the PFAS-free options.

Fire class	What it covers	Right agent here
Class A	Wood, paper, cloth, trash	ABC dry chemical, water
Class B	Gasoline, oil, solvents, grease	ABC, CO2, Halotron, Purple K
Class C	Energized electrical equipment	Halotron clean agent, CO2 (residue-free, non-conductive)
Class K	Cooking oils and fats	Class K wet chemical

Shop Class C clean agents: Halotron extinguishers and CO2 extinguishers are the residue-free, non-conductive options safe on energized electronics.

Class C and clean agents for electronics

A Class C rating means the agent is safe to discharge on energized electrical equipment without conducting current back to the operator. Near servers, switchgear, and electronics the agent also has to leave no residue, which is where clean agents earn their place. Halotron I and CO2 discharge, put out the fire, and leave nothing behind. ABC dry chemical is also Class C rated, but its monoammonium phosphate residue is corrosive and keeps destroying boards and drives after the flames are out, which is why it is the wrong choice in a data center or server room. For a room-by-room agent breakdown, see our fire extinguisher selection guide for server rooms and data centers. Halotron is listed under ANSI/UL 711 and CO2 under ANSI/UL 154.

Match the extinguisher to the hazard

Offices, warehouses, and mixed-occupancy spaces are served by ABC dry chemical, which covers Class A, B, and C from one cylinder. Commercial kitchens need Class K wet chemical, the only correct agent for cooking-oil fires, paired with hood suppression under NFPA 96. Vehicles and fleets use ABC units on DOT 49 CFR 393.95 compliant brackets. Large floor areas and fuel-handling zones use wheeled units for higher agent capacity and reach.

Placement, inspection, and NFPA 10

NFPA 10 governs how portable extinguishers are sized, placed, mounted, and inspected, and OSHA 29 CFR 1910.157 sets the workplace requirement. Portable clean-agent units are the grab-and-go layer that complements fixed clean-agent suppression systems governed by NFPA 2001. For IT equipment rooms specifically, the standard of care is documented in NFPA 75.