What happens if you pour boiling water on a fire?
In: Chemistry
It takes 3 things to make and sustain a fire. Oxygen, Fuel, and Heat.
Water takes care of two of those things. It can separate the Oxygen from the fuel and also absorbs a lot of heat (usually turning into steam) and causing the fire to go out.
Wood ignites at around 370°C, so even boiling water at 100°C is going to be much cooler and take away heat from the fire. The main key is that when water going from liquid to steam, it absorbs heat away from the fuel. So constantly dumping water with eventually put the fire out.
Now if your fuel is something liquid like grease or oil, and you put boiling water on it……run, run like hell and call the fire department (same goes for combustible metals like lithium cause water only makes it worse).
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