If a fire involves live electrical equipment, which class is it?

If a fire involves live electrical equipment, which class is it?

• A. Class C
• B. Class A
• C. Class B
• D. Class D

Answer: (A)

This question is about how fires are categorized by what is fueling them. When the energy source is live electrical equipment, the fire is treated as an electrical fire, which is Class C. Knowing this helps you pick the safe way to fight the fire. Water isn’t suitable here because it conducts electricity and can put you at risk of electric shock or spread the current, so you’d use non-conductive extinguishing media such as carbon dioxide, dry chemical powder, or a suitable extinguisher rated for electrical fires. If it’s safe to do so, turning off the power removes the energy feeding the fire, making it easier to control, but you still should choose an extinguisher appropriate for electrical fires and keep a safe distance. The main point is that the presence of live electricity as the energy source places the fire in Class C.

This question is about how fires are categorized by what is fueling them. When the energy source is live electrical equipment, the fire is treated as an electrical fire, which is Class C. Knowing this helps you pick the safe way to fight the fire. Water isn’t suitable here because it conducts electricity and can put you at risk of electric shock or spread the current, so you’d use non-conductive extinguishing media such as carbon dioxide, dry chemical powder, or a suitable extinguisher rated for electrical fires. If it’s safe to do so, turning off the power removes the energy feeding the fire, making it easier to control, but you still should choose an extinguisher appropriate for electrical fires and keep a safe distance. The main point is that the presence of live electricity as the energy source places the fire in Class C.