In the late 1920s, Lodias J. DuGas created a new combination of bicarbonate soda that proved to be very effective at extinguishing multiple classes of fires. He quickly received multiple patents for his invention, and soon the dry chemical or ABC chemical fire extinguisher was all over the market. These extinguishers remained a specialty type of extinguisher until the 1950s, when smaller, more portable versions of these extinguishers were developed for homes and businesses.

These dry chemical extinguishers use a sodium bicarbonate mixture combined with other chemicals that allowed it to flow freely and remain moisture-resistant. The earliest extinguishers utilized an internal CO2 cartridge to propel the chemical onto the fire. Later, different types of propulsion were used, including an externally mounted CO2 cartridge or a nitrogen cartridge. These types of extinguishers are still in use today.