Why can't sea water be used to extinguish fire?

Then answers provided previously address most of the issue. I was at a fire apparatus factory in Wisconsin and saw some trucks with huge pumps and intakes on them. All seven were going to Central America and used in the port, their main function was drafting seawater to fight shipboard and warehouse fires. read more

Confirming the same, yes salt water can be used to extinguish fire. Few exceptions are as follows: Electrical fires: simply because salt water is a good conductor of electricity, so using salt water may increase the risk of electrocution. read more

Water can be used to put out some types of fire. There are 5 types of fire, A, B, C, D and K. Class A fires are ordinary combustibles like wood or paper and can be fought with water, CO2, Dry Chemical, or Halon. Class B fires are flammable or combustable liquids or gasses and cannot be fought with water but need CO2, foam, Dry Chemical, or Halon. read more