Question
Which types of extingulsher should be used on a materials (general furnishings fabrics and/or clothes)fire? Choose the correct option and select Submit. Powder or foam Water or CO2 Water or foam CO2 or powder
Answer
4.5
(233 Votes)
Reggie
Professional · Tutor for 6 years
Answer
Water or foam
Explanation
This question belongs to the category of general knowledge about fire safety, specific to the issue of augmenting fire extinguishers. The objective is to recognize the correct type of extinguisher that should be used for certain types of fires. Here, we are dealing with fires caused by general furnishings, fabrics or clothes also classified as class A fires. Class A fires are fires involving solid materials such as wood and paper which can be extinguished using water or foam extinguishers because they have a cooling effect. Foam extinguishers not only solution the flames with foam, but also, they cool the fire down and seal in any vapors hence stopping re-ignition. Water-based fire extinguishers also work overall in cooling the materials that are burning. In contrast, CO2 and powder fire extinguishers are not primary choice for this category of fire. CO2 extinguishers work best on electrical fires and do not cool the fire primarily, meaning they cannot prevent the fire from restarting. Powder extinguishers are poisonous if inhaled and create very unfavorable environments - they are generally used if no other option is against. Our choice based on this reasoning and general fire safety practices thus would be, water or foam extinguishers.