When should you use a fire extinguisher?

Too often people are injured when trying to control a fire with a household fire extinguisher. According to Underwriters Laboratories Inc. (UL), a not-for-profit product safety testing and certification organization, you should use a portable fire extinguisher only when:

• The fire is contained to a small area and is not growing
• You know how to use it
• Everyone has safely exited
• The fire department has been called
• The room is not filled with smoke