History of the Fire Extinguisher

In 1723, the well-known pharmacist and chemist Ambrose Godfrey patented one of the earliest known devices for extinguishing fires. It consisted of a barrel-like container filled with a fire-extinguishing liquid, with a metal chamber containing gunpowder placed inside it. In the event of a fire, the gunpowder was ignited by a system of fuses and exploded, rupturing the chamber and dispersing the liquid onto the fire. Similar devices existed both as fixed systems for protecting buildings and as smaller portable versions.

In 1734, the German physician M. Fuches came up with the idea of using glass balls filled with water or a saline solution to extinguish fires. The balls were thrown into the fire, causing the glass to break and release the liquid. These early fire-extinguishing devices were relatively small and their effectiveness was limited, but they represent an interesting stage in the development of modern fire extinguishers.