It's actually one way of putting out otherwise very persistent fires, especially the ones that like to only smoulder (really nasty chemicals, metal compounds, e

It's actually one way of putting out otherwise very persistent fires, especially the ones that like to only smoulder (really nasty chemicals, metal compounds, etc.) Removing heat from the reaction lowers the ignition temperate of the surrounding material to a point that fire dies out on its own. Side note: it doesn't work that well on burning plutonium.