FIRE EXTINGUISHERS
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Coast Guard approved fire extinguishers are required on boats where a fire
hazard could be expected from the motors or the fuel system.
- Fire extinguishers are classified by a letter (B or C) and a Roman numeral symbol (I, II or III).
- The letter indicates the type fire the unit is designed to extinguish:
Classification |
Designed to extinguish |
Type A |
Combustible solids such as wood and paper |
Type B |
Flammable liquids such as gasoline, oil and grease fires |
Type C |
Electrical fires. |
- The number (I, II, III) indicates the relative size of the extinguisher. The higher the number, the larger the extinguisher.
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Coast Guard approved extinguishers required for boats are hand portable,
either B-I or B-II classification and have a specific marine type mounting
bracket.
- Extinguishers must be readily accessible and positioned away from areas
where a fire could likely start such as the galley or the engine
compartment.
- Extinguisher markings can be confusing because extinguishers can be
approved for several different types of hazards. Look for the part of the label that says "Marine Type USCG"
and that it is Type B is indicated (most off-the-shelf extinguisher do).
- Portable extinguishers will be either sizes I or II. Size III and larger
are too big for use on most recreational boats.
| Classes |
Foam (Gals) |
CO2(lbs) |
Dry Chemical (lbs) |
Halon (lbs) |
| B-I (Type B, Size I) |
1.25 |
4 |
2 |
2.5 |
| B-II (Type B, Size II) |
2.5 |
15 |
10 |
10 |
Fire Extinguishers are required when:
- Inboard engines are installed.
- There are closed compartments and compartments under seats where
portable fuel tanks may be stored.
- There are double bottoms not sealed to the hull or which are not
completely filled with flotation materials.
- There are closed living spaces.
- There are closed stowage compartments in which combustible or flammable
materials are stored.
- There are permanently installed fuel tanks.
Fire Extinguisher Maintenance
Inspect extinguishers monthly to make sure that:
- Seals and tamper indicators are not broken or missing.
- Pressure gauges or indicators read in the operable range. (Note: CO2
extinguishers do not have gauges.)
- There is no obvious physical damage, rust, corrosion, leakage or clogged
nozzles.
- For fire extinguishers without pressure gauges, weigh annually to ensure that the minimum weight is as
stated on the extinguisher label.
- The pressure gauge alone is not an accurate indicator that Halon
extinguishers are full. The weight of the units should be checked regularly.
Required Number of Fire Extinguishers
The number of fire extinguishers required on a recreational boat is based on
the overall length of the boat. The following chart lists the number of
extinguishers that are required. In the case where a Coast Guard-approved fire
extinguishing system is installed, the required number of hand-held
extinguishers may be reduced by one.
It
is recommended that portable extinguishers be mounted in a readily accessible
position.
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Minimum
number of hand portable fire extinguishers required |
| Vessel Length |
No Fixed System |
With approved Fixed Systems |
| Less than 26' |
1 B-I |
0 |
| 26' to less than 40' |
2 B-I or 1 B-II |
1 B-I |
| 40' to 65' |
3 B-I or 1 B-II and 1 B-I |
2 B-I or 1 B-II |
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