<p>The Health and Safety Executive recommends at least one fire extinguisher per 200m² of floor space, with a maximum travel distance of 30 metres to reach one. For most marquees, outdoor catering areas and exhibition spaces, that means more than one unit.</p>
<p>The Health and Safety Executive recommends at least one fire extinguisher per 200m² of floor space, with a maximum travel distance of 30 metres to reach one. For most marquees, outdoor catering areas and exhibition spaces, that means more than one unit.</p>
Fire extinguisher planning for an event starts with the site layout, the equipment on site, and the fire risk assessment. The Health and Safety Executive guidance gives a useful baseline: allow at least one extinguisher per 200m² of floor space and keep the travel distance to a unit within 30 metres. In practice, most temporary event sites need more than the bare floor-area minimum because the risk does not sit in one even block. A marquee with no catering has one profile. A marquee with a bar, LPG cooking, a generator, and cable runs has another.
Use those figures as a starting point, then look at how the event works. A standard 6x12m marquee covers 72m², so one extinguisher covers the shell itself. Add a cooking point inside it and the fire plan changes at once. A 20x10m structure reaches 200m². That points you to two units as a minimum, and a third often makes sense if you are running a bar, kitchen, or power distribution inside the same footprint.
The multi-purpose dry powder extinguisher in our range covers Class A fires such as wood, paper, and textiles, Class B flammable liquids, Class C flammable gases including LPG, and electrical risks common on temporary event sites. That broad cover makes it a practical choice for many outdoor and marquee events where you need one unit type that can respond to mixed hazards.
Events still need common sense. If your venue, contractor, or fire risk assessment specifies a different extinguisher type for a certain area, follow that instruction. The extinguisher order should support the documented risk plan, not replace it. For catering areas using oil or fat, keep a fire blanket within reach of the cooking point as well as the extinguisher.
Placement matters as much as quantity. If someone cannot see the unit or cannot reach it without moving through smoke, you have not solved the problem. Keep extinguishers visible, upright, and clear of stacked boxes, drape lines, and spare stock. Position the handle around 1 metre above the ground where the format allows. Do not hide units behind bars, under tables, or beside a cooking appliance where someone would need to lean into the danger to reach them. A point three to five metres from the immediate source often gives better access.
Break the site into hazard zones. Guest seating needs general cover. Kitchens need extra units and a blanket. A generator compound needs its own extinguisher close by, not one borrowed from the marquee door. A bar with fridge motors, extension leads, and crowd pressure needs a unit staff can reach without leaving the counter area unattended.
This zone-by-zone method helps on mixed sites such as weddings, festivals, and exhibitions. You stop asking, "How many for the event?" and start asking, "What sits in each area, and what would staff need if something went wrong there?" That question produces a better order.
Events on licensed premises and temporary sites fall under the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005. That means someone has to carry out a fire risk assessment and act on it. The quantity guide above helps with standard temporary setups, but larger events, licensed structures, and higher-risk catering operations may need a fuller fire safety plan before approval. If your attendance is high or the licensing authority asks for detail, prepare the extinguisher plan before the final submission window rather than leaving it to the last supplier call.
Legal compliance also depends on staff awareness. A line of extinguishers does not help if the team does not know where they are. Brief your site crew during setup. Walk the layout. Show each unit location. Make sure bar staff, catering teams, and duty managers know which access routes stay clear at all times.
At least two people on site should know how to use the extinguishers you have ordered. That does not mean turning every staff member into a firefighter. It means someone can react in the first moments of a small incident while another person raises the alarm, clears guests, or shuts down power or gas if the procedure allows it. Large events benefit from one named safety lead who checks placement before doors open and again after any late layout changes.
Keep the tone practical with staff. Show them where the units sit, remind them that clear escape comes first, and make sure no one treats an extinguisher as decoration added for the licence file.
Check live availability for the multi-purpose fire extinguisher when you build the rest of your event order. You can add fire cover alongside your catering equipment so the delivery arrives together. If you know the floor area, the cooking setup, and the power plan, you can work out a sensible quantity before the site team arrives.
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