What Is A Class D Fire And What Is The Best Fire Extinguisher For It

Combustible metals such as aluminum, titanium, magnesium, lithium, zirconium, sodium, and potassium cause Class D fires.

Metal fines - tiny, thin pieces of metal, often shavings or dust generated during the machining process - usually ignite in industrial, manufacturing, or laboratory settings. Class D fires can cause significant damage and are difficult to extinguish.

What types of fire extinguishers are classified as Class D?

Unfortunately, Class D fires cannot be put out with water or any other extinguishing agent. When water comes into contact with a combustible metal, it intensifies the fire, increasing the heat and spreading the molten metal.

As a result, only a Class D fire extinguisher should be used to extinguish a combustible metal fire. The best way to put out these fires is to suffocate them and remove the oxygen source. The agent also aids in the absorption of heat from the fuel.

Dry Powder extinguishers are the only type of Class D fire extinguisher. Powdered graphite, granular sodium chloride, or copper-based powder agents are all effective at separating the fuel from the oxygen.

Dry powder extinguishers are effective against Class D fires but not against any other type of fire.