Fire classes & extinguisher colour codes (India)

Fire classes under the Indian/BIS scheme and the extinguisher agent for each, with the colour-band identification used on every portable extinguisher in India.

Fire classes

Class A — Solid combustible materials of organic nature — wood, paper, cloth, rubber, plastics, coal, textiles — where the cooling effect of water is essential for extinction (IS 2190:2010 / IS 15683:2018). · suitable: Water (jet/spray), Foam (AFFF), ABC dry chemical powder, Clean agent / halocarbon (smaller fires)
Class B — Flammable liquids or liquefiable solids — petrol, diesel, kerosene, oil, grease, paint, solvents, wax — where a blanketing (smothering) effect is essential (IS 2190:2010). · suitable: Foam (AFFF), CO2, ABC or BC dry chemical powder, Clean agent / halocarbon
Class C — Flammable GASES under pressure including liquefied gases — LPG, propane, butane, methane/natural gas, acetylene, hydrogen — where it is necessary to inhibit the burning gas. NOTE: In the Indian/BIS scheme Class C is GASES, not electrical (electrical is a separate special hazard, not a lettered class). This differs from the US/NFPA scheme where Class C = electrical. · suitable: Dry chemical powder (ABC or BC), CO2, Clean agent / halocarbon
Class D — Combustible metals — magnesium, aluminium, zinc, sodium, potassium, titanium, lithium and their alloys/swarf (IS 2190:2010 / IS 15683:2018). · suitable: Special Class-D dry powder (e.g. ternary eutectic chloride / graphite / sodium-chloride based, matched to the specific metal), Dry sand (manual)
Class F (cooking oils & fats) — Cooking media — vegetable and animal oils and fats in deep-fat fryers / commercial kitchens. India uses 'Class F' (the BS EN/ISO term); the equivalent US/NFPA term is 'Class K'. Confirmed: India = Class F, not Class K. · suitable: Wet chemical (potassium-based; saponifies the oil into a soap-like cooling/sealing blanket)
Electrical fires (special hazard — old suffix 'Class E') — Fires involving energised/live electrical equipment — wiring, panels, motors, transformers, appliances. In BIS this is NOT a separate lettered class; it is a special hazard overlaid on a Class A or B fire. The pre-revision Indian code used the suffix 'Class E' informally; IS 2190 treats it as a Class-C-rated / non-conductivity requirement. · suitable: CO2 (preferred — no residue, non-conductive), Dry chemical powder (ABC/BC), Clean agent / halocarbon

Extinguisher types & colour bands

Water (gas-cartridge / stored-pressure) — Water (plain, or with wetting/anti-freeze additive); cools and soaks · classes: A · Predominantly red body with a RED (signal red) band/panel — i.e. all-red, since red is also the base body colour — Class A only. Never on flammable liquids (B), gases (C), live electrical, metals (D) or cooking oil (F). Water-mist/de-ionised variants can be rated for electrical use but plain water is not.
Foam (AFFF — aqueous film-forming foam) — AFFF foam concentrate + water; blankets and cools · classes: A, B · Red body with a CREAM (pale yellow/off-white) band/panel — Good on Class A and B. Not for live electrical (conductive unless dielectrically tested), gas (C), metal (D) or cooking-oil (F) fires.
Carbon dioxide (CO2) — Carbon dioxide gas; smothers/displaces oxygen, non-conductive, leaves no residue · classes: B, C, Electrical · Red body with a BLACK band/panel — Ideal for live electrical equipment and flammable liquids/gases; clean (no residue) so favoured for electronics/labs. Limited Class A capability (no cooling). Asphyxiation/confined-space and cold-burn hazards; use horn, not metal nozzle, near electrics.
Dry chemical powder — ABC (multipurpose) — Mono-ammonium phosphate powder; interrupts the combustion chain and forms a smothering crust · classes: A, B, C, Electrical · Red body with a BLUE band/panel — Most versatile general-purpose extinguisher (A, B, C and safe on live electrical). Leaves corrosive residue (bad for electronics/machinery); reduces visibility — avoid in occupied confined spaces. Not for Class D or cooking oil (F).
Dry chemical powder — BC — Sodium/potassium bicarbonate powder; chain-breaking, smothering · classes: B, C, Electrical · Red body with a BLUE band/panel (same as ABC; agent stated on label) — Effective on liquids, gases and electrical but NOT rated for Class A (no lasting A crust). Largely superseded by ABC for general use.
Dry powder — special (Class D) — Metal-specific powder (ternary eutectic chloride / graphite / sodium chloride based) · classes: D · Red body with a BLUE band/panel, labelled for the specific metal — Only for combustible-metal fires; agent must match the metal. Not interchangeable with ABC/BC powder. Applied gently to avoid scattering burning metal.
Wet chemical — Potassium acetate / citrate / carbonate solution; saponifies oil into a cooling, sealing soap layer · classes: F, A · Red body with a YELLOW (canary yellow) band/panel — Purpose-built for commercial-kitchen cooking-oil (Class F) fires; also rated for Class A. Long applicator lance reduces splash/boil-over. Not for live electrical unless specifically rated.
Clean agent / halocarbon (gaseous) — Halocarbon clean agents (e.g. HFC-227ea / FK-5-1-12 / HCFC blends); chemical-chain suppression, non-conductive, residue-free · classes: A, B, C, Electrical · Red body with a coloured band/panel per agent (commonly green or labelled 'Clean Agent'; not a single fixed BIS band colour) — Replaces ozone-depleting Halon. Residue-free and non-conductive — preferred for server rooms, electronics, archives, telecom. Class A/B/C and electrical capable. Not for Class D or cooking oil.

Standards

IS 15683:2018 — Portable Fire Extinguishers: Performance and Construction — Specification (latest revision; defines fire classes A/B/C/D/F and the construction, performance, testing and marking/colour-identification of portable extinguishers). Earlier revisions: IS 15683:2006.
IS 2190:2010 — Selection, Installation and Maintenance of First-Aid Fire Extinguishers — Code of Practice (Section 9 fire classification; specifies which extinguisher type for which class, sizing, distribution/travel distance, and the non-conductivity rule for energised electrical equipment).
IS 2189:2008 — Selection, Installation and Maintenance of Automatic Fire Detection and Alarm System — Code of Practice (Fourth Revision) (detectors, manual call points, control & indicating panels, zoning).
National Building Code of India (NBC) 2016, Part 4 — Fire and Life Safety (occupancy-based fire-protection requirements: extinguishers, detection/alarm, hydrants/sprinklers, means of escape; the overarching code that invokes the IS standards).
IS 2878 — (historically referenced for CO2 extinguisher specification / identification colour panels; superseded for portable-extinguisher specification by IS 15683 but still cited in some Indian colour-coding literature).
IS 933 / IS 940 / IS 10658 — earlier type-specific extinguisher specifications (chemical foam, water-CO2, ABC powder) now consolidated under IS 15683.

CONFIRMED: India's CURRENT scheme is the BS EN3-aligned 'predominantly RED body + small coloured band/panel per agent' system, adopted via IS 15683 — this REPLACED the older scheme where the entire body was a different colour per agent (e.g. blue body = dry powder, cream body = foam, black body = CO2, red body = water). Today every portable extinguisher in India has a fire-engine-red body, and a coloured band/rectangular panel (about 10-15 cm, roughly 5-15% of the surface) identifies the agent. Band colours: WATER = red (so the unit appears all-red), FOAM/AFFF = cream, CO2 = black, DRY CHEMICAL POWDER (ABC/BC and Class-D) = blue, WET CHEMICAL (Class F) = yellow/canary-yellow; clean-agent/halocarbon units carry an agent-specific band (often green or simply labelled 'Clean Agent', no single fixed BIS colour). IMPORTANT CLASS-C CAVEAT: in the Indian/BIS classification Class C = FLAMMABLE GASES (LPG, propane, hydrogen, methane), NOT electrical fires. Electrical fires are treated as a special hazard (old informal suffix 'Class E') requiring a non-conductive agent (CO2, dry powder or clean agent), not as a separate lettered class. India uses Class F (not the US/NFPA 'Class K') for cooking-oil/fat fires. (Note: the exact percentage band size and some agent-band colours can vary slightly between IS 15683 marking requirements and supplier practice — verify against the current IS 15683:2018 text and NBC 2016 Part 4 before publishing.)

Reference information for occupational-health professionals — not medical advice, and not a substitute for examination by a qualified physician.

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