What type of portable fire extinguishers are acceptable for kitchen protection?
The Life Safety Code references another NFPA standards for the specific installation requirements applicable to portable fire extinguishers. Specifically, NFPA 10 Portable Fire Extinguishers requires a Class “K” rated portable fire extinguisher where grease is used for cooking. However, the standard allows the continued use of existing extinguishers if they were installed before June 1998. Therefore, existing dry chemical extinguishers may continue to be used if they were installed prior to this date. Class B gas-type portable extinguishers such as CO2 and halon are specifically prohibited from being installed in kitchens. Note that although the use of dry chemical extinguishers existing prior to June 1998 is code-compliant in kitchen areas, testing indicates that dry chemical extinguishing agents may not be effective on modern kitchen grease fires. Cooking fires now often involve low cholesterol vegetable shortening, which has more severe burning characteristics than animal fats as we
