There are many types of fire extinguishers, but only one type is approved for use on a vessel by the United States Coast Guard.
In order to be USCG-certified, your fire extinguisher must have a rating of BC or ABC and bear the label “USCG APPROVED”. This article will give you all the information that you need in order to purchase an appropriate fire extinguisher for your boat. — *The “USCG APPROVED” label is a symbol of the North American Marine Equipment Association. It indicates that all materials in an extinguisher are safe to use with marine equipment, including fuel and oil which may be present on-board. *BC rated fire extinguishers can rescue people from flammable liquid fires such as gasoline or diesel spills, whereas ABC rated extinguishers put out class A (wood) and B (paper) fires effectively too. If your boat has both types of sources onboard it’s wise to purchase two different BC certified models for safety reasons.* Both BC and ABC labeled fire extinguishers should have UL ratings printed directly below them: BCB stands for Bronze Typical Dry Chemical;
