IFSTA Aircraft Rescue and Fire Fighting (ARFF) Practice Test

In aircraft firefighting, the main tools used to attack a fire on the field are water-based cooling and foam-based blankets. Water cools the fuel and structure, reducing heat and slowing the flame’s spread. Foam and aqueous film forming foam (AFFF) create a barrier over flammable liquids, separating the fuel from the air and helping suppress vapors that can reignite. Dry chemical powders, while effective for some smaller or specific-class fires, are not used as the primary method for a large aircraft fuel fire because they don’t provide sustained cooling or a lasting fuel blanket, and their residue can hinder visibility and damage equipment. So the option that is not a primary extinguishing agent in this context is the dry chemical.