text: what are the abc stand for written on the fire extinguisher?   there are several types of fire extinguishers available, but the best type for home and farm use is a multipurpose "abc" type extinguisher. abc type extinguishers generally use ammonium phosphate as the active chemical to extinguish a fire and are capable of putting out most common fires.  extinguishers are rated for the type of fire they are made to extinguish.      * a - ordinary combustible materials such as wood, paper, hay, etc.     * b - flammable liquids such as gas, oil, grease and other petroleum products.     * c - electrical fires.   as this listing shows, an abc type extinguisher is capable of extinguishing most fires.