Extinguisher checks turn on three things: the right standard, the right location, and clear access. Every extinguisher must meet NFPA 10, with wheeled flightline units also maintained under their own technical order. Fire Emergency Services approves every location and owns the program, while the work centre is responsible for keeping units accessible, unobstructed, and used only for their intended purpose.
Readers asked this on CheckMyRegs and CheckMyAFI 16 times — this page answers it from the official catalogs and the publications’ own text.
| Branch | Controlling publication | Dated | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Air Force | DAFMAN 91-203 Current Chapter 6 is the fire protection and prevention text | 2026-02-24 | Official link |
| Coast Guard | COMDTINST M5100.47D Current Portable extinguisher placement table by occupancy type | 2021-07-27 | Official link |
| Army | AR 385-10 Current Army Safety Program | 2023-07-24 | Official link |
| Navy | OPNAVINST 5100.23H Current Navy safety and occupational health program | 2020-06-05 | Official link |
| Marine Corps | MCO 5100.29C VOLUMES 1-9 w/CH-2 Current Marine Corps safety management system | 2022-02-08 | Official link |
| DoD-wide | DoDI 6055.01 Current DoD-wide safety and occupational health policy | 2014-10-14 | Official link |
All extinguishers must meet NFPA 10, and wheeled 150-pound flightline extinguishers are maintained and inspected under TO 13F4-4-121 in addition to that standard.
“6.2.6.5. All fire extinguishers will meet the requirements of NFPA 10, Standard for Portable Fire Extinguisher. (T-1) Note : TO 13F4 -4-121, Fire Extinguisher, Wheeled Liquified Gas, 150 LB Capacity, and NFPA 10 are to be used for maintenance and inspection of wheeled flightline fire extinguishers.”
Everyone is responsible for the extinguishers in their own work area, which must be readily accessible with unobstructed access and used only for their intended purpose — any discharge, accidental or not, gets reported to Fire Emergency Services.
“6.2.6.6. Employee Responsibilities. All employees are responsible for fire extinguishers in their work areas. Employees will ensure fire extinguishers are readily accessible with unobstructed access and are used only for the intended purpose. (T-0) F&ES Flights will be notified of any fire extinguisher discharge, accidental or intentional. (T-3)”
The Fire Emergency Services Flight approves the location of every fire extinguisher and is the authority on all extinguisher matters, so placement is not a unit-level decision.
“6.2.6.3. Fire Extinguisher Location. The F&ES Flight will approve the location of all fire extinguishers. (T-3)”
Extinguishers on the flightline and in maintenance areas must be within easy reach of the operator and close to ground power equipment, with the requirements table in TO 00-25-172 governing quantity.
“24.3.3.5. Fire Extinguishers. Suitable fire extinguishers will be placed throughout flightline and maintenance areas, within easy reach of the operator and close to ground power equipment. (T-1) Refer to TO 00-25-172, Table 3 -1, for flightline operations fire extinguisher requirements and Chapter 6, Fire Protection and Prevention, for additional information. Note: 150-pound flightline fire extinguisher programs are maintained under the Aircraft Maintenance Squadrons or Generation Squadrons as required per HAFMD 1- 38, Deputy Chief of Staff, Logistics, Engineering and Force Protection.”
Use Class B extinguishers on flammable solvents and never water, and size the unit to the credible fire — a gallon of spilled solvent can cover twenty-five to fifty square feet while a small extinguisher may only handle two.
“24.11.3. Fire Control. Use Class B extinguishers for flammable solvents. In no case will water be used. Employees using flammable solvents will be trained and proficient in extinguisher use. (T-0) Extinguishers will be sized for possible fires; for example, a gallon of spilled solvent can cover 25 to 50 square feet, but a small extinguisher may only extinguish 2 square feet. (T-1) The F&ES Flight will be consulted to ensure extinguishers with proper capacity are obtained. (T-1) Employees will remain vigilant after a fire is extinguished because flammable solvent may still be present beneath the extinguishing material. (T-1) If an ignition source is present, the vapors can re -ignite. Safety cans and solvent storage cabinets will have flash arresters to prevent flame from entering the container. (T-1)”
Welding operations need a trained fire guard with a 10B:C minimum extinguisher in the immediate area plus an 80B:C wheeled backup, and the fire watch continues at least thirty minutes after the work stops.
“20.8.3.10. Assign a trained fire guard to monitor the welding operation and halt the welding operation if a hazardous condition develops. (T-0) Provide the fireguard with a 10B:C (minimum) rated fire extinguisher in the immediate area, and a back -up wheeled extinguisher of 80B:C rating. (T-1) Ensure the fire watch is maintained for at least 30 minutes after completion of the welding operation to detect and extinguish smoldering fires. (T-0) Operations on combustible metals will include the availability of a Class D fire extinguisher. (T-1)”
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Updated 2026-08-01. CheckMyRegs is an unofficial index — always cite the official publication.