Cream band fire extinguisher: foam, and where it fits
A cream band marks a foam extinguisher, commonly AFFF (aqueous film-forming foam). It is the one for flammable liquids such as petrol and paint thinners, and many models also cover ordinary combustibles.
Contains: foam, commonly AFFF
Fire classes: Class B (flammable liquids), and usually Class A; check the rating on the label
Not for: cooking oil and fat fires; fires involving electricity
Usually found: workshops, garages, plant rooms, anywhere flammable liquids are stored or used
What a cream band means
Under the UK colour code, cream identifies a foam extinguisher. The body is red like every other extinguisher; the cream band or panel is what tells you the contents. It is easy to confuse with the red water band at a glance, which is one reason to learn the colours before an incident rather than during one.
How foam works
Foam is water with a foaming agent. It spreads over the surface of a burning liquid as a film or blanket, which cuts off the flammable vapour and the air. The water content also cools. That is why foam does a job on liquid fires that plain water cannot do.
What it is for
Foam is mainly chosen for Class B fires: petrol, oils, solvents and paint thinners. Many foam extinguishers are also rated for Class A fires such as wood, paper and fabric. Fire services take slightly different views on how good foam is on solids: Avon Fire & Rescue lists it for Classes A and B, while Hereford & Worcester advises it is less suited to Class A. The honest answer is to rely on the rating printed on your own extinguisher, not on the colour alone.
The technique for a liquid fire
Do not blast foam straight into a pool of burning liquid. That can splash the fuel and spread the fire. Fire service guidance is to aim at the inside edge of the container, or at a nearby surface, so the foam flows across the top of the liquid and settles as a layer.
Only fight a fire if it is small, you are trained, the alarm is raised and you have a clear exit behind you. Otherwise get out, stay out and call 999.
Never use it on
- Cooking oil and fat fires (chip pans and fryers). These need wet chemical, as in our yellow band guide.
- Fires involving live electrics. Foam is water-based, and Avon Fire & Rescue does not recommend it where electricity is involved. Use CO2 or follow your risk assessment.
Cream or red?
Both can tackle solids, but only foam handles flammable liquids. A workshop, garage or store with solvents and fuels points to foam. An office with mainly paper and furniture can work with water or foam, plus CO2 near electrical equipment. Our which extinguisher for which fire guide works through the choice by fuel.
Common mistakes
- Spraying directly into the liquid rather than at the edge.
- Treating a cream extinguisher as the all-rounder for a kitchen.
- Using it on a computer or a plugged-in appliance fire.
- Assuming every cream unit has the same ratings: models differ.
Frequently asked questions
What is a cream label extinguisher?
A foam extinguisher. The label or band colour is cream, and the contents are usually AFFF.
Can foam be used on electrical fires?
Fire services do not recommend it. Foam is water-based, so use a CO2 extinguisher or isolate the power if it is safe to do so.
Is foam better than water?
It covers flammable liquid fires that water cannot, and it is also rated for solids on most models. For ordinary combustibles only, water is a simple, effective choice.
Related guides
- Fire extinguisher colours and chart: what each band means
- Which fire extinguisher for which fire?
- Yellow band fire extinguisher: wet chemical for cooking oil fires
- Red band fire extinguisher: what water is for, and what it isn't
- Black band fire extinguisher: CO2 for electrical and liquid fires
- Blue band fire extinguisher: dry powder, and the catch indoors
Test yourself on the colours
Extinguisher Match gives you a fire and a few seconds. Pick the right unit, then see why the others were wrong.
Play Hazard Hunt →Sources
- Fire extinguishers (Hereford & Worcester Fire and Rescue Service)
- Fire extinguishers (Avon Fire & Rescue Service)
- BS 5306-10:2019, colour coding of portable fire extinguishers (BSI)
This guide is for learning and applies to England & Wales. Always work from the current standards, the label on your own extinguisher and your fire risk assessment; Scotland and Northern Ireland have equivalent regimes.