When it comes to fire protection and life safety, few tools are more essential than the portable fire extinguisher. These are so commonplace you might not even notice them in your business, when out shopping, or even at your own home. However, this wasn’t always the case – and extinguishers as we know them today are actually a fairly modern invention.
The first fire extinguisher was patented in England in 1723 by a chemist named Ambrose Godfrey. This rudimentary extinguisher had a cask of liquid to extinguish the fire, and a chamber of gunpowder that was connected to a series of fuses that when ignited, exploded the gunpowder and scattered the liquid.
In 1818, also in England, a new version of the fire extinguisher was invited by Captain George William Manby. This type had a copper container filled with three gallons of potassium carbonate solution, contained inside compressed air.
One of the first extinguisher in the U.S. was invented in 1881 by Almon M. Granger, and it used the reaction between sodium bicarbonate solution and sulphuric acid to squirt pressurized water to extinguish a fire. The pressurized water was released in one of two ways – one with a plunger to break the vial of acid, and one with a stopper that kept the vial closed until you needed it. Once the acid and solution mixed, carbon dioxide came out, pressurizing the water and forcing it out through a hose.
The first portable extinguisher to use carbon tetrachloride was patented in 1911, with a patent filed by the Pyrene Manufacturing Company of Delaware. This chemical blanketed flames, reducing the oxygen available to the fire and putting it out. This type of extinguisher was also unpressurized, meaning it could be refilled after use with fresh chemical.
The first carbon dioxide extinguisher in the U.S. was invented by the Walter Kidde Company in 1924.
However, the modern-looking extinguisher we think of today first started to emerge in 1928, by DuGas Fire Extinguisher Company, and it used sodium bicarbonate that’s been treated with chemicals to make it free-flowing and resistant to moisture. It consisted of a copper cylinder with an internal carbon dioxide cartridge. To use it, you’d turn a wheel valve on top, puncturing the cartridge, and squeeze a lever to discharge the chemical and extinguish a fire.
In the 1950s and 60s, dry chemical agents came into play, including potassium bicarbonate, monoammonium phosphate, potassium chloride, and urea potassium. These chemicals are nonpoisonous, but they can be an irritant if inhaled.
Later, in the 1970s, Halon 1211 came to the United States from Europe, where it had been used for several decades already. All Halon agents work by slowing the chain reactions of a fire – but their use has become more and more limited due to the environmental impact of these agents.
Today – there are many types of fire extinguishers, utilizing all sorts of chemicals or combinations. The most commonly used type of extinguishing agent is monoammonium phosphate, rather than water or carbon dioxide, although carbon dioxide does remain a popular choice. There are also many different types beyond these categories, depending on the type of fire you’re needing to potentially fight.
Looking to learn even more about fire extinguishers? Explore our blogs to learn what to do when your fire extinguisher expires, how to use a fire extinguisher and more.
