NFPA 1: Location and placement requirements for portable fire extinguishers, #FireCodefridays

In NFPA 1, portable fire extinguisher requirements are located in section 13.6 under chapter 13, Fire Protection
Systems.

Location and Placement

The first step in figuring out where to place your fire extinguisher is to size up your building and see
what types of hazards are around. If you have a kitchen area then a class K rated fire extinguisher
should be nearby, for flammable liquids a class B rated extinguisher, if there is potential for
energized electrical equipment to be involved one would use a class C rated extinguisher, etc.

Common sense and NFPA 10 say that the fire extinguisher should be located where they are readily
accessible and available in the event of a fire. These are typically located along normal paths of
travel so that you can grab one with ease in the event of a fire.

Fire extinguishers should be visible, but if visual obstructions cannot be avoided then arrows, lights
or signs to help indicate where a fire extinguisher is located. This cuts down on response time and
could play a critical role in getting the fire under control or extinguished.

When looking at how to place your extinguisher in the location that you have decided, one thing to
consider is the elevation. The bottom of the extinguisher needs to be at least 4in off the ground and
the top not more than 5ft from the ground, unless it is heavier than 40lbs. In the case where it is
heavier than 40lbs, the top of the extinguisher cannot be more than 3.5ft above the floor. This
includes extinguishers in cabinets but does not include wheeled extinguishers.

One question that I often get is about fire extinguishers that are subject to malicious use. In these
situations cabinets are allowed to be locked but there still needs to be a means of emergency
access. This is done through several ways, the most common being breakable glass doors on the
front with a small mallet attached.

The above requirements apply to all portable fire extinguishers but there are different location
requirements for extinguishers for different class fire hazards.

Class A,

Required anywhere ordinary combustibles are present. The minimum number of fire extinguishers
you need per floor is outlined in table 13.6.3.2.1.1. To find this number one would take the total floor
area and divide it by the maximum floor area to be protected per extinguisher. For example, if there is
a 67,000 ft2 light hazard area, take this and divide it by the maximum floor area for an extinguisher
(11,250ft2) then one would find that a minimum of 6 fire extinguishers with at least a 4A rating
(3,000ft2 * 4 = 12,000ft2) is required. 2A rated portable fire extinguishers are permitted as well but
then the requirement of having a maximum floor area per unit of “A rating” decreases the maximum
floor area per extinguisher from 11,250ft 2 to 6000ft2 (3,000ft2 * 2 = 6,000ft2). In this case one would
need a minimum of 12 fire extinguishers to cover an area of 67,000ft 2 (67,000ft2/6,000ft2 = 11.2).  In
addition to the requirements in table 13.6.3.2.1.1, fire extinguishers for class A hazards must be
locates as to not exceed a 75ft travel distance.