Question 234Safety & Environmental - 1st Asst/Chief

The correct answer is B) Updraft from the fire tends to carry the CO2 away. The reasoning is that when a fire occurs in an engine room, the hot air and gases rising from the fire create an updraft that can quickly carry the carbon dioxide (CO2) from the fixed fire extinguishing system away from the base of the fire. This makes it essential to introduce the CO2 as quickly as possible, before the updraft can disperse it, in order to effectively smother the fire. The other answer choices are incorrect because: A) Introducing the CO2 quickly is not primarily to prevent the fire from spreading through the bulkheads; C) CO2 disperses rapidly in a large space, not slowly; and D) the fire warping the CO2 piping is not the reason for the need to introduce it quickly.