What type of fires is a wet chemical extinguisher specifically designed to combat?

A wet chemical extinguisher is specifically designed to combat cooking oil fires, which are classified as Class K fires. These types of fires primarily occur in kitchens and involve cooking oils and fats that can ignite and burn at high temperatures. The unique wet chemical agents in these extinguishers work by effectively cooling the burning material and forming a layer of foam that helps to smother the flames, preventing re-ignition.

This distinguishes them from extinguishers designed for electrical fires, flammable liquid fires, or general combustible materials, each of which require different types of agents or methods to extinguish effectively. For example, electrical fires must be treated with non-conductive agents, while flammable liquid fires require extinguishing agents that can suppress liquid flames without spreading them further. General combustible material fires might use different classes of extinguishers altogether, depending on the specific combustibles involved. Thus, the wet chemical extinguisher is essential for safely targeting cooking oil fires specifically.