A review has been prepared on the use of setting agents in the
extinction of fires in forests and on heaths, fires involving fibrous
and granular materials in bulk, and fires in buildings.
It is concluded that no case can be made for the general use of
wetting agents in firefighting. However, it appears that there are
certain situations, in each of the above fields, in which water containing
a wetting agent can be more effective than plain water for extinguishing
a fire.
An increase in the effectiveness of water for fire extinction is not
alone sufficient to justify the use of wetting agents for firefighting.
It is necessary to take into account all operational and economic factors,
some of which, it is considered, can be evaluated only in full-scale trials
under practical conditions.
