Why do you have fire extinguishers in schools hospitals etc?

Portable fire extinguishers are provided in case there is a small fire that can be quickly extinguished, while occupants are being moved away from the fire and out of the building, if necessary.

Some fire extinguishers are automatic, such as those used in commercial grease-duct hoods over cooking appliances, and activate to stop the fire even if nobody is there. Others are manual and may come in different types for different fires (e.g., A, B, C, D, K).