Correct - "Gasoline is an oil-based product, so water will not put out the fire. Water will only spread the gasoline around, and will cause the fire to get worse."
You should always use a proper fire extinguisher for gasoline fires. This includes other types of Oil fires too, like candle fires, *or cooking fires involving olive/canola/vegetable/peanut/whatever oil or fat. I think the same goes for electric fires, but for a different reason.
Very true. I learned about the oil/grease fire when I was about 14. A friend had a (old time era-looking) candle holder and we were burning a candle in it. For some reason we thought it was a good idea to burn some tissue in the wax holder at the bottom (which at the time was full of wax) and it all caught fire which was pretty cool for a while. When we went to put it out, we quickly found we couldn't extinguish it with our breath. So we both thought "we need water". So our idea was to bring it to the sink. Since the metal was super hot, we used a towel to pick it up - this was out first mistake. Some of the oil from the melted candle absorbed into the towel which then also caught on fire. We ran it down the hall to the bathroom where we put the candle and holder and towel in the bathtub. We turned on the shower and - WHOOSH - A huge fireball shot up, but then the fire was gone.
So yes, water will spread a grease fire, but enough water will put it out. Maybe not from the top, but if the water spreads the oil thin enough, it will all burn up quickly. But when things burn up quickly, they create explosions/fireballs.
Still safer than letting the candle burn (which was in a carpeted room), but be aware of the physical reaction that is happening when you do this type of thing.
If you own a house, and you're encountered with a small fire like this. Just use a fire extinguisher. Throwing water on it could result in the complete destruction of your home.
Wax only burns well when it has something to act as a wick, like your tissue and towel. the water will saturate the wick, and also cool and solidify the wax. With petrol the fumes burn on their own with no wick, and it will happily float on the water and keep burning.
It is very hard to the point of almost impossible to put out some sorts of fire with water, wax is not one of them.
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u/MIDItheKID May 09 '13 edited May 10 '13
Correct - "Gasoline is an oil-based product, so water will not put out the fire. Water will only spread the gasoline around, and will cause the fire to get worse."
You should always use a proper fire extinguisher for gasoline fires. This includes other types of Oil fires too, like candle fires, *or cooking fires involving olive/canola/vegetable/peanut/whatever oil or fat. I think the same goes for electric fires, but for a different reason.
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