IFSTA Aircraft Rescue And Fire Fighting (ARFF) Practice Test

Cooling the engine and controlling the fuel source with a water or water/foam application is the standard tactic for a grounded engine fire. The goal is to rapidly reduce heat in the engine compartment and suppress any escaping fuel so the fire cannot reignite. A direct attack targets the base of the flames to deliver cooling where it’s most intense and to contact exposed fuel sources, while an indirect attack uses a fog pattern to blanket the area from a safer distance, still delivering cooling and extinguishing effect without exposing responders to the hottest heat. Foam is especially helpful with hydrocarbon fuels because it blankets the fuel, helping to separate it from air and extending suppression. This approach is preferred over a ventilation-only method, a powder-only method, or simply waiting, since those options do not actively cool or extinguish the fire and can allow it to spread or reignite.