Portable Fire Extinguisher Resources

You can go to www.fireextinguishertraining.com to view a virtual fire extinguisher class.

Fire Extinguisher Fact Sheet

You may call a fire extinguisher company near you and ask to drop off the fire extinguisher with them, or you can discharge the extinguisher per the instructions below and take the empty canister to:

• City of Loveland’s Recycling Center, 400 N. Wilson Ave. Loveland, CO. (970) 962-2529
• Larimer County Landfill 5887 S Taft Hill Rd, Fort Collins, CO. (970) 498-5771

Instructions for discharging fire extinguisher by type:

• Dry chemical fire extinguishers, used for Class A, B, and C fires, contain monoammonium phosphate, which comes out as a yellow powder and is also used in the farming industry as fertilizer. These extinguishers can be safely discharged outdoors, into a trash dumpster, or into water destined for a treated sewer system. Because the powder can be irritating to skin, eyes, nose, mouth, and lungs, common sense precautions should be taken.
• Ordinary dry chemical extinguishers, used for Class B and C fires, often contain sodium bicarbonate (baking soda), which comes out as a white powder. These extinguishers can be safely discharged outdoors, into a trash dumpster. Use common precautions.
• Carbon dioxide (CO2) fire extinguishers are used for Class B and C fires. They emit pressurized CO2 gas, which smothers the fire by blocking the oxygen that the fire needs. Unlike the dry chemical types, this nonflammable gas quickly evaporates leaving nothing behind. CO2 is a naturally occurring gas and is part of the air we breathe. These extinguishers can be safely discharged outdoors. Use common precautions.
• Wet foam and wet chemical fire extinguishers can both contain noxious substances. These should be disposed of at an actual hazardous materials facility.

Loveland Fire Rescue Authority does not service, refill, or dispose of fire extinguishers.

If you have an extinguisher that needs to be serviced or re-filled, you will need to contact a qualified fire extinguisher technician, which you can find in the yellow pages or online by searching “fire extinguisher service”.  Fire extinguishers in commercial occupancies must be annually inspected, serviced, and properly tagged by a qualified fire extinguisher technician.