– 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

Well by that point the fire has grown big and consumed most of the building. Fires burn and spread upward. So the aim is to try and prevent it from spreading further to upper floors and then putting it out below. If they were to focus on putting out the fire from the bottom to top floors then that won’t stop the fire from growing and traveling further upwards in the meantime.