If ice is frozen water why doesn't it put out fires when it is melted?

Answer 1

Water puts out ice because it covers up the fire from breathing in oxygen (which it needs).

If the water coming from the ice comes out by little tiny streams, the fire could easily evaporate that into vapor or just ignore the little stream of water.

If somehow the ice melted instantously into water and covered up the entire fire, then it could be possible.

Answer 2

It depends on the amount of ice to the fire size. Ice does to two thing to fire 1) it pull the heat away from the fire because to go from a solid to liquid and or to gas state requires energy or heat in this cause and it will rob the fire of fuel and oxygen if there is enough water being made to do the job . The main reason firefighters use water instead of ice is that water will flow to fire faster than ice will, and ice you got got to lower it temperature to freezing and carry it in. Very awkward indeed and for 90% of home fire water will do the trick in put it out. However electrical fires and reactive metal fire types such as sodium or potassium this will not do . because water will conduct electricity and Metal such Sodium and Potassium will react with water so that they generate a lot heat in reacting with the water that will does no good and the by product of this reaction is hydrogen gas and it explode from the heat being generated. So they use Dry Ice instead, with is frozen Carbon dioxide. It freeze as -98 degree F. What it does is sublimes into a gas directly without going into it liquid state in doing so it become Carbon dioxide gas and will rob the fire of it heat source by absorbing it heat was well and displacing the Oxygen in the air. Also grease or oil type fires water will not put it out beause oil or grease will float on top of the water making speading the fire that much easier . for those type of fire you have to to use a fire extinguisher that will asphyxiate the fire without use water .

I hope this explain anything

Answer 3

When ice melts it turns back into water and it will put out fires if there is enough of it. If you are talking about putting ice on a fire maybe the fire evaporates the water when it is melting before enough of it can put out the fire.

Answer 4

because it evaporates too quickly to do any damage