Guide to fire extinguishers

Our Technical Manager, Martin Spencer, shares his top tips for ensuring your fire extinguisher will keep you safe in an emergency.

Thankfully, fires in leisure vehicles are very rare. Should the worst happen, though, your first priority should be to get everyone out of the vehicle and to a place of safety. That’s why a smoke detector (marked as conforming to the appropriate standard, BS EN 54-7) is so important. Only when everyone is safe is it worth considering if it is practical to tackle the fire.

Extinguishers come in many different types and sizes, so choice can be confusing. Those marked as confirming to the standard BS EN 3 should be of suitable quality. There are a number of extinguisher products which don't meet that standard, often because they use technology which doesn’t suit the test procedures of the standard, or because they originate outside of Europe where that standard isn’t used. The Club doesn’t currently recommend such products.

Longstanding Club advice is that an AFFF (foam) type gives the best compromise of being suitable for many types of fire (although not electrical ones), while being appropriate for use in a confined space like a caravan or motorhome. A dry powder extinguisher would be more versatile in terms of fire type, but is not recommended for a small enclosed space. In addition, cooking oil (e.g. chip pan or frying pan) fires must be tackled with a fire blanket instead (choose one conforming to BS EN 1869).

Make sure your extinguisher is kept readily to hand on a dedicated bracket near the door, but not too close to cooking appliances. Read the instructions for use so you're familiar with them before you might need to use it in a hurry. Check for an expiry or service by date too - for small appliances, it's usually not worthwhile having them serviced or refilled - just buy a new one, typically every five years. Incidentally, if you need to dispose of an old extinguisher, most council recycling centres will take them - check for specific local guidance, though.

Extinguisher technology moves on over time, as do the regulations around what can be used in them. At one time, AFFF extinguishers contained chemicals which have subsequently been banned - however, since at least 2010, AFFF products have used lower risk foam. Ongoing investigations in both the EU and the UK are looking to restrict the allowable chemicals further, which may mean a ban on the new sale (and eventually on the continued use) of AFFF extinguishers. The Club understands that any restrictions on portable AFFF extinguishers are now not likely for another few years - a total ban seems unlikely before perhaps 2030 at the earliest.

In the light of this, and also recognising that there are new technology extinguishers available, with wide suitability for different fire types and which meet the relevant standard, the Club is reviewing our guidance for extinguisher choice, both for campsite use and in members’ leisure vehicles. We’ll issue further advice when that review is complete. In the meantime we hope you won't need to use your fire extinguisher and stay safe and well.

Published May 2025