The appropriate portable extinguisher for extinguishing a fire in a computer is which type?

• A. Type A
• B. Type B
• C. Type C
• D. Type D

Answer: (C)

Fires in a computer involve energized electrical equipment, so the extinguisher chosen must suppress an electrical fire without conducting electricity or damaging sensitive electronics. Extinguishers rated for electrical fires use non-conductive media, typically dry chemical or clean agents, which allow you to fight the fire without creating an electric shock hazard for the operator or energizing remaining circuitry. Using water-based extinguishers would be unsafe here because water conducts electricity and can spread shock through the equipment and pose a risk to the person fighting the fire, as well as further damaging the computer. Metal fires or flammable liquid fires require different classifications, which aren’t applicable to a computer fire. Therefore, the extinguisher suitable for a computer fire is the one designed for electrical fires.