A water extinguisher is suitable for which type of fire?

A water extinguisher is suitable for which type of fire?

• A. Electrical fires
• B. Flammable liquid fires
• C. Metal fires
• D. Paper (or wood) fires

Answer: (D)

Water extinguishers work by cooling the fuel enough to drop its temperature below the point at which it will ignite. This cooling effect makes them ideal for fires involving ordinary combustibles like paper and wood, where the material itself is burning and needs to be cooled to stop the flame. That cooling action is why the best match here is paper or wood fires. They’re not suitable for electrical fires because water can conduct electricity and create a shock hazard or spread the fire if live equipment is involved. They’re also not suitable for metal fires, since some metals react violently with water. And they aren’t suitable for flammable liquid fires because water can blanket or spread the burning liquid, making the fire worse.

Water extinguishers work by cooling the fuel enough to drop its temperature below the point at which it will ignite. This cooling effect makes them ideal for fires involving ordinary combustibles like paper and wood, where the material itself is burning and needs to be cooled to stop the flame.

That cooling action is why the best match here is paper or wood fires. They’re not suitable for electrical fires because water can conduct electricity and create a shock hazard or spread the fire if live equipment is involved. They’re also not suitable for metal fires, since some metals react violently with water. And they aren’t suitable for flammable liquid fires because water can blanket or spread the burning liquid, making the fire worse.