What is the recommended first response to a small ammo fire in a magazine?

• A. Extinguish with water immediately
• B. Ignore and continue
• C. Use improvised suppression on all fires
• D. Evacuate personnel, sound alarms, follow the facility fire/safety plan, and notify EOD or fire services; do not attempt improvised suppression on large fires.

Answer: (D)

When ammunition storage areas catch fire, safety comes from getting people out of danger first and bringing in trained responders. The best initial action is to evacuate personnel, sound the alarms, follow the facility’s fire/safety plan, and notify the appropriate experts (EOD or fire services). This is because ammunition fires can escalate unpredictably and arming oneself with improvised suppression methods may trigger a detonation or spread the hazard to other rounds. Professionals with the right training, equipment, and procedures are needed to manage ordnance fires safely and to isolate the hazard. Even a small fire should not be treated with ad hoc suppression tactics—priority is to alert and evacuate, then rely on those who can handle the situation safely.