A _____ fire extinguisher delivers a stream of dry chemicals onto a fire.

A _____ fire extinguisher delivers a stream of dry chemicals onto a fire.

• A. Water
• B. Foam
• C. Wet chemical
• D. Dry chemical

Answer: (D)

Extinguishing media work by how they interact with the flame. A stream of dry chemicals is characteristic of a powder extinguisher. When the powder is directed onto the fire, it blankets the fuel and interferes with the chemical reactions taking place in the flame, effectively quenching it by disrupting the radicals that sustain combustion. This makes dry chemical extinguishers versatile for a range of fire types (A, B, and C). Water extinguishers cool the fire by absorbing heat, not by delivering a dry powder. Foam extinguishers create a foam blanket to separate fuel from air, not a dry stream of powder. Wet chemical extinguishers release a liquid designed for cooking-oil fires and fats, which chemically reacts in a way that forms a soapy layer rather than a dry particulate blanket.

Extinguishing media work by how they interact with the flame. A stream of dry chemicals is characteristic of a powder extinguisher. When the powder is directed onto the fire, it blankets the fuel and interferes with the chemical reactions taking place in the flame, effectively quenching it by disrupting the radicals that sustain combustion. This makes dry chemical extinguishers versatile for a range of fire types (A, B, and C).

Water extinguishers cool the fire by absorbing heat, not by delivering a dry powder. Foam extinguishers create a foam blanket to separate fuel from air, not a dry stream of powder. Wet chemical extinguishers release a liquid designed for cooking-oil fires and fats, which chemically reacts in a way that forms a soapy layer rather than a dry particulate blanket.