Water is best kept under the hull in most situation but when fire strikes it becomes the best way to douse the flames even if it can burn (Check out The Case Of The Tongues Of Fire), but it leaves an aweful mess afterwards. Rummaging around the internet produced an alternative: sing to it.
Don’t take my word for it, check out Scientific American’s item on musical fire-extinguishing.
Students managed to put out a fire, or at least a candle flame, by playing Nickelback’s “How you remind me” very loudly. It’s a Canadian Band so there’s probably some Jones Act prohibition that applies.
Be that as it may, prehaps this could have a major impact on firefighting on ships of the future. I suspect the vessels with a predominantly Filipino crew might get an insurance premium discount, or SOLAS might include a mandatory karaoke.
