灭火器具是一种平时往往被人冷落，急需时大显身手的消防必备之物。尤其是在高楼大厦林立，室内用大量木材、塑料、织物装潢的今日，一旦有了火情，没有适当的灭火器具，便可能酿成大祸。
Fire extinguishing equipment is a kind of fire fighting necessities, which is often neglected by people in peacetime and shows itself in urgent need. Especially in today's high-rise buildings, indoor decoration with a large number of wood, plastic, fabric, once there is a fire, there is no appropriate fire extinguishing equipment, it may lead to catastrophe.
古时的灭火器具很简单，无非是钩、斧、锹、桶之类。第一个真正的专用灭火器是由英国船长、诺福克郡人曼比于1816年发明的，它仅是一两个装1升多水并充有压缩空气的圆桶。
In ancient times, fire extinguishers were simple, such as hooks, axes, shovels and barrels. The first truly dedicated fire extinguisher was invented by British captain Manby of Norfolk in 1816. It was just one or two barrels filled with more than one liter of water and compressed air.
到19世纪中叶，法国医生加利埃发明了手提式化学灭火器。将碳酸氢钠和水混合放在筒内，另用一玻璃瓶盛着硫酸装在桶口内。使用时，由撞针击破瓶子中，使化学物质混合，产生二氧化碳，把水压出桶外。
By the middle of the 19th century, French doctor Gallier invented the portable chemical fire extinguisher. Sodium bicarbonate and water are mixed in a barrel, and sulfuric acid in a glass bottle is placed in the mouth of the barrel. When in use, the colliding needle breaks the bottle, mixes the chemicals, generates carbon dioxide, and presses the water out of the barrel.
1905年，俄国的劳伦特教授在圣彼得堡发明一种泡沫灭火剂，把硫酸铝与碳酸氢钠溶液混合并加入稳定剂，喷出后生成含有二氧化碳的泡沫，浮在燃烧的油、漆或汽油上，能有效地隔绝氧气，窒熄火焰。
In 1905, Professor Laurent of Russia invented a foam extinguishing agent in St Petersburg, mixing aluminum sulfate with sodium bicarbonate solution and adding stabilizer. After spraying, it produces carbon dioxide foam, floating on the burning oil, paint or gasoline, which can effectively isolate oxygen and extinguish the flame.
1909年，纽约的戴维森取得一项专利，利用二氧化碳从灭火器内压出四氯化碳，这种液体会立即变成不可燃的较重气体以闷熄火焰。此后又出现了干粉灭火器，液态二氧化碳灭火器等多种小型式灭火器。
In 1909, Davidson in New York patented the use of carbon dioxide to extinguish carbon tetrachloride from a fire extinguisher, which immediately turned into an inflammable, heavier gas to smother the flame. Thereafter, a variety of small extinguishers, such as dry powder extinguishers, liquid carbon dioxide extinguishers and so on, appeared.