Maybe a fire fighter can correct me but fire requires fuel, oxygen and a source of ignition.
The source of ignition doesn't have to be a spark or flame. All you have to do is raise the fuel to above its auto ignition temperature. Heat a piece of paper in a hot oven and you have the criteria. No spark is required.
If you have a bonfire going with 1,000 pounds of hardwood and spray it with a small CO2 extinguisher the flames may go out momentarily but the ignition temperature is still there. The flames went away because the CO2 removed the oxygen. In a few seconds the air rushes back in and the flames erupt again because the pile of fuel is still above the ignition temperature.
Instead, dump tons of water on the fire and the resulting steam displaces the oxygen while at the same time reducing the temperature of the pile of wood. That might work. It's far more complex than the instructions on the five pound extinguisher.
My point is to know the capabilities of the extinguisher you're using. Don't run into a fully engulfed structure thinking a five pounder will save the day. It buys you a few seconds.
Adder: A fire fighter I knew talked about watching a building burn because they couldn't shut off the natural gas. If they extinguished the flames and a pocket of gas formed it could explode if an ember was exposed.
The source of ignition doesn't have to be a spark or flame. All you have to do is raise the fuel to above its auto ignition temperature. Heat a piece of paper in a hot oven and you have the criteria. No spark is required.
If you have a bonfire going with 1,000 pounds of hardwood and spray it with a small CO2 extinguisher the flames may go out momentarily but the ignition temperature is still there. The flames went away because the CO2 removed the oxygen. In a few seconds the air rushes back in and the flames erupt again because the pile of fuel is still above the ignition temperature.
Instead, dump tons of water on the fire and the resulting steam displaces the oxygen while at the same time reducing the temperature of the pile of wood. That might work. It's far more complex than the instructions on the five pound extinguisher.
My point is to know the capabilities of the extinguisher you're using. Don't run into a fully engulfed structure thinking a five pounder will save the day. It buys you a few seconds.
Adder: A fire fighter I knew talked about watching a building burn because they couldn't shut off the natural gas. If they extinguished the flames and a pocket of gas formed it could explode if an ember was exposed.
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