A deck-stowed 40-foot container is giving off smoke, and one end is discolored from heat. The cargo is valuable and easily damaged by water. You want to extinguish the fire without further damage if possible. What action should you take?
• Behavior of fires in closed containers and the danger of opening them • Use of CO2 (carbon dioxide) vs water for cargo fires, especially where cargo is easily damaged by water • Importance of cooling boundaries and containing a fire rather than aggressively attacking it in some situations
• Which choices involve opening or piercing the container, and what risks does that create for air supply to the fire and crew safety? • How does CO2 actually extinguish a fire, and what happens if the space is not reasonably tight or cannot be fully sealed? • If the cargo is valuable and easily damaged by water, which options still control the fire and protect the ship without unnecessarily ruining the cargo?
• Identify which options maintain the container as a closed space vs which ones open or pierce it • Check which choice focuses on boundary cooling (cooling from the outside) rather than flooding the interior • Verify that the action chosen both protects the vessel first and minimizes cargo damage where safely possible
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