AS 2444 Explained | Portable Fire Extinguishers and Fire Blankets

It’s a standard Tuesday afternoon in a busy Sydney architecture firm. Someone leaves their brand-new, aftermarket e-scooter plugged into the wall charger near the breakroom. Suddenly, there is a sharp popping sound, followed immediately by a violent jet of white-hot sparks and toxic smoke.

The e-scooter’s lithium-ion battery has gone into “thermal runaway.”

A well-meaning employee grabs the nearest fire extinguisher—a standard red water extinguisher—and sprays it directly onto the blazing battery. Because lithium-ion fires involve intense chemical and electrical reactions, the water doesn’t put the fire out. Instead, it creates a massive steam explosion, spreading the chemical fire across the room.

According to the latest 2024-2025 Annual Report from Fire and Rescue NSW, lithium-ion battery fires are now the fastest-growing fire risk in the state, occurring at a terrifying rate of five per week. The fire landscape is changing rapidly, which means the equipment hanging on your office wall needs to change with it.

Welcome to the world of AS 2444—the strict Australian Standard that governs the selection and location of portable fire extinguishers and fire blankets. Having an extinguisher is not enough; you must have the right extinguisher, in the right place, maintained perfectly. Let’s explore what AS 2444 requires for your business in 2026, and how to protect your staff from modern fire threats.

What is AS 2444?

While massive fire pumps and sprinkler networks (governed by AS 2118 and AS 2419) are designed to save the building, portable fire extinguishers are designed for first-attack. They are meant to allow occupants to extinguish a small, incipient fire before it triggers the massive building systems, or to clear a safe path for evacuation.

AS 2444 is the rulebook that tells property managers exactly which types of extinguishers must be used for specific hazards, how many are required, and exactly where they need to be mounted.

If your extinguishers do not meet AS 2444 standards, your building will fail its routine AS 1851 testing, which means you will fail your Annual Fire Safety Statement (AFSS).

Extinguisher Types | Match the Weapon to the Threat

Fire is not a single entity; it is a chemical reaction that changes depending on the fuel. AS 2444 categorizes fires into classes (Class A for wood/paper, Class B for flammable liquids, Class E for electrical, Class F for cooking oils). Using the wrong extinguisher can be fatal.

1. Water Extinguishers (Solid Red)

Use: Class A fires (wood, paper, textiles). The Trap: Never use these on electrical fires or flammable liquids. Water conducts electricity, meaning the operator could be electrocuted. In a modern office full of computers, standard water extinguishers are becoming less common, usually relegated to warehouses with heavy cardboard storage.

2. Dry Chemical Powder / DCP (Red with a White Band)

Use: Class A, B, C, and E fires. The Workhorse: This is the most versatile extinguisher available. The powder interrupts the chemical reaction of the fire. It is highly effective on flammable liquids and safe for electrical fires up to a certain voltage. The Trap: Discharging a DCP extinguisher indoors creates a massive, blinding cloud of fine powder. It is highly corrosive to electronics. If you use this in a server room to put out a small trash can fire, the powder will likely destroy millions of dollars worth of IT equipment.

3. Carbon Dioxide / CO2 (Red with a Black Band)

Use: Class E (Electrical) and Class B (Flammable liquids). The Server Room Guardian: CO2 works by suffocating the fire, removing the oxygen. It leaves zero residue, making it the absolute best choice for server rooms, switchboards, and areas with sensitive electronics. The Trap: It has no cooling effect. If used on a deep-seated wood fire, the fire will simply re-ignite once the CO2 gas dissipates.

4. Wet Chemical (Red with an Oatmeal/Beige Band)

Use: Class F (Cooking oils and fats). The Kitchen Essential: Standard extinguishers will spread a grease fire. Wet chemical extinguishers discharge a soapy foam that reacts with the burning oil, creating a thick crust that smothers the flames and cools the fat. These are mandatory in commercial kitchens.

5. F-500 Encapsulator Agent (The Lithium-Ion Killer)

Use: Lithium-ion battery fires (e-bikes, scooters, laptops). The Modern Threat: Standard extinguishers struggle against lithium-ion “thermal runaway” because the battery generates its own oxygen and intense heat. The F-500 agent is a relatively new technology that actually encapsulates the combustible hydrocarbon molecules and rapidly cools the battery core, stopping the chemical reaction. If your office allows e-scooters or has large charging stations, upgrading to F-500 units is a critical 2026 safety measure.

Placement and Signage Rules (The 20-Metre Rule)

You cannot just throw an extinguisher in a closet. AS 2444 dictates strict placement rules.

• The Travel Distance: In a standard commercial environment (Class A hazards), a person should never have to travel more than 20 metres to reach a fire extinguisher. In high-hazard areas (like a mechanic’s workshop with flammable liquids), that distance drops to 15 metres.

• Mounting Height: Extinguishers cannot sit on the floor where they can be kicked or damaged. They must be mounted on a wall bracket. The top of the extinguisher must be between 100mm and 1200mm from the floor to ensure it is easily lifted by people of all heights.

• Clear Signage: Every extinguisher must have an AS 2444 compliant location sign mounted directly above it, visible from a distance, explicitly stating what types of fire it is safe to use on.

Maintenance and Testing Cycles (AS 1851)

Fire extinguishers are pressurized vessels containing chemicals. Over time, they lose pressure, powder compacts into a solid block, and hoses crack. Routine testing under AS 1851 is mandatory.

The 6-Monthly Check

Every six months, a technician must inspect every extinguisher. We check the pressure gauge, inspect the anti-tamper seal, weigh the CO2 units (because they don’t have gauges), and invert the DCP units to ensure the powder hasn’t solidified at the bottom. We then punch the heavy-duty metal tag to provide legal evidence of the inspection.

The 5-Year Pressure Test

Every five years, all extinguishers must be discharged, pressure-tested (hydrostatic testing), and refilled. In most cases, it is actually more cost-effective for businesses to simply replace the old units with brand-new ones at the 5-year mark to ensure maximum reliability.

Fire Blankets | The Unsung Kitchen Hero

Alongside extinguishers, AS 2444 covers fire blankets. Made of fire-resistant woven glass fiber, these are designed to be thrown over a small cooking fire (like a burning frying pan) or wrapped around a person whose clothing has caught fire.

They must be installed in every commercial kitchen and are highly recommended for standard office breakrooms. However, the standard dictates they must be placed near the hazard, but not so close that the fire would prevent you from reaching the blanket.

Don’t Risk a $66k Fine for a $50 Extinguisher

Failing to maintain your portable fire extinguishers is one of the most common—and most easily avoidable—reasons for failing an AFSS audit. With local NSW councils issuing compounding fines and the potential for corporate liability reaching $66,000 under the new legislation, neglecting your extinguishers is a massive financial risk.

More importantly, it is a risk to human life. In an emergency, your staff will reach for the nearest red cylinder, trusting that property management has ensured it works.

At Complete Pumps and Fire Protection, we don’t just supply equipment; we supply certainty. We conduct comprehensive AS 2444 site audits, supply the correct specialised extinguishers for modern threats like lithium-ion batteries, and manage your ongoing 6-monthly testing schedule so you never have to worry about compliance again.

Is your building protected against the fastest-growing fire risks in NSW? Call Complete Pumps and Fire Protection at 8582 7997 today to book an expert audit of your portable fire equipment.