– If fire extinguishers are supposed to be directed at the base of the fire, why do large fires often have firefighters on extended ladders shooting water from above?

Question

– If fire extinguishers are supposed to be directed at the base of the fire, why do large fires often have firefighters on extended ladders shooting water from above?

In: 13

Answer 1

On a side note the USA has a higher fatality rate for firefighters than most other countries. (Or so I was once told). Mainly due to the fact we try to save buildings other countries would have written off and just contained the burn.
Could also be types of structures (high rise vs single family, etc) or building materials or design, etc.