What can be used on a wildland or ground cover fire to absorb the fire's heat and break down, cooling the fuel?

A compressed-air foam system is a firefighting technology that utilizes a mixture of water, foam concentrate, and air to create a foam that can effectively absorb heat from a fire. When deployed on wildland or ground cover fires, this foam blankets the burning material and forms a barrier that cools the fuel and traps heat. The foam not only cools the fire by absorbing heat but also smothers the fire by depriving it of oxygen, helping to prevent re-ignition.

In wildland firefighting, where conditions can be very dry and the terrain challenging, using a compressed-air foam system can significantly enhance the effectiveness of fire suppression efforts. The foam can cling to vegetation and other fuels, allowing for more efficient heat absorption and preventing the spread of the fire.

Other methods, like liquefied nitrogen, while capable of cooling, are not commonly utilized for ground cover fires as they might not provide the necessary efficiency and practicality in wildland firefighting scenarios. Dry chemical agents can be effective for certain types of fires but are not specifically designed for absorbing heat in the same way that foam does. Dry ice can also cool but is again not an effective method for suppressing ground cover fires on a larger scale.