The Fire Suppression Science Behind CO2 Because the sustainability of a fire requires fuel, heat and oxygen, removing one of these elements from the equation will extinguish the fire. Fike’s CO2 Fire Suppression System reduces oxygen to extinguish most fires, including: Surface or “flash” type fires: oils, paints, etc. Deep-seated or “smoldering” type fires: paper, baled cotton, clothing, etc. Localized applications: ship engines, dip tanks, oil-coated surfaces. Retaining the agent within the protected space reduces the fire’s ability to re-ignite. In addition, CO2 has a cooling effect on the surrounding atmosphere that benefits fire extinguishment. Because carbon dioxide is a gas, no cleanup is required after a Fike CO2 fire suppression system discharges. It is approximately 50 percent heavier than air, and is normally present in the atmosphere at about 0.03 percent by volume. When applied to a fire, CO2 provides a heavy blanket of gas that reduces the oxygen level to a point where combustion cannot occur.