During an engine fire that is outside of the engine, what is the recommended action?

During an engine fire that is outside of the engine, what is the recommended action?

• A. Pull the mixture control to idle cutoff and close the fuel firewall shutoff valve.
• B. Ignore and continue engine operation.
• C. Open the firewall valve to starve air.
• D. Increase fuel flow to wash away fire.

Answer: (A)

When a fire is burning near the engine, the first priority is to starve the fire of fuel and stop the engine from drawing more fuel. The best action is to pull the mixture control to idle cutoff to stop fuel flow into the engine, and close the fuel firewall shutoff valve to isolate the engine from the airplane’s fuel lines. Together, these actions prevent additional fuel from reaching the fire and help bring the fire under control. Opening the firewall valve would feed the fire, increasing its fuel supply; increasing fuel flow or ignoring the situation would worsen the fire.

When a fire is burning near the engine, the first priority is to starve the fire of fuel and stop the engine from drawing more fuel. The best action is to pull the mixture control to idle cutoff to stop fuel flow into the engine, and close the fuel firewall shutoff valve to isolate the engine from the airplane’s fuel lines. Together, these actions prevent additional fuel from reaching the fire and help bring the fire under control. Opening the firewall valve would feed the fire, increasing its fuel supply; increasing fuel flow or ignoring the situation would worsen the fire.