An electrical fire is classified as which class of fire?

An electrical fire is classified as which class of fire?

• A. Class A
• B. Class B
• C. Class C
• D. Class D

Answer: (C)

Fire classification groups fires by what is feeding them. An electrical fire involves energized electrical equipment, so it’s classified as Class C. This matters because water is dangerous on energized electrical fires—it conducts electricity—so you use non-conductive extinguishing methods such as dry chemical powder or CO2 and, if safe, disconnect the power. If the equipment is de-energized, the fire could be reclassified based on the fuel present, but while the circuit is live, Class C is the correct label. The other classes correspond to different fuel types: ordinary combustibles, flammable liquids, and combustible metals, which don’t describe an energized electrical fire.

Fire classification groups fires by what is feeding them. An electrical fire involves energized electrical equipment, so it’s classified as Class C. This matters because water is dangerous on energized electrical fires—it conducts electricity—so you use non-conductive extinguishing methods such as dry chemical powder or CO2 and, if safe, disconnect the power. If the equipment is de-energized, the fire could be reclassified based on the fuel present, but while the circuit is live, Class C is the correct label. The other classes correspond to different fuel types: ordinary combustibles, flammable liquids, and combustible metals, which don’t describe an energized electrical fire.