A fire extinguisher in the kitchen only helps if you know when to use it and how. The US Fire Administration, part of the Federal Emergency Management Agency, boils it down to a checklist before you start and a four-letter word once you do.
Before you pick it up: six questions
Only go near the fire if the answer to every one is yes:
- Have you warned everyone in the home?
- Has someone called the fire service? In Kuwait that is 112, as in our guide to emergency numbers.
- Are you physically able to handle it? Young children and older adults should not.
- Is the fire small and contained to one object, like a pan or a bin?
- Are you clear of the smoke?
- Is your way out open behind you?
If any answer is unsure, get out, warn others and call from outside.
Using it: PASS
- Pull the pin. Hold it with the nozzle pointing away from you and release the lock.
- Aim low, at the base of the fire, not the flames.
- Squeeze the lever slowly and evenly.
- Sweep the nozzle side to side until the base is covered.
Which one to buy
A multipurpose extinguisher marked “A-B-C” or “B-C” covers most home fires: paper, cloth and wood (A), oils and fuels (B), and plugged-in appliances (C). Pick the largest one you can lift and use comfortably.
Check it where it hangs
- Nothing blocks the way to it.
- The pressure gauge reads in the correct zone, not too high or too low.
- The cylinder, hose and nozzle are not dented or rusted.
- The outside is free of dust and grease.
Some extinguishers need a monthly shake and others a pressure test every few years, so read the instructions on yours.
Photo: the valve and pressure gauge of a fire extinguisher. By AgrisR, CC BY-SA 4.0 via Wikimedia Commons.
Source: “Choosing and Using Fire Extinguishers” on the US Fire Administration website (usfa.fema.gov), read on 12 October 2026.
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