Safety, Fire & Survival · Fire — Triangle and Methods
The four methods of extinguishing a fire correspond to removing elements of the fire tetrahedron. Which pairing is correct?
- AOnly water can extinguish any fire
- BCooling removes fuel; smothering removes heat; starving removes oxygen; inhibition removes light
- CAll four methods remove only oxygen
- DCooling removes heat; smothering removes oxygen; starving removes fuel; and chemical inhibition breaks the chain reaction✓ Correct
Explanation
The fire tetrahedron is heat, fuel, oxygen, and the chemical chain reaction. Cooling (water) removes heat; smothering/blanketing (foam, CO2) excludes oxygen; starving removes/isolates fuel; and dry-chemical/clean agents interrupt the chemical chain reaction. Removing any one extinguishes the fire.
Authority: NFPA; Bowditch (Pub. No. 9); fire theory
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