Water, wet and otherwise

WPVI | When "Water" Isn't Wet
During Tuesday's Good Morning America, a representative of Tyco Fire and Security displayed the amazing properties of the chemical that's called "Sapphire."

The chemical has all the firefighting properties of water, yet it will not cause the damage to items that is usually associated with water.

There are still pictures from GMA, where a working, powered-up laptop and flat-screen television were submerged in this stuff--and continued to work. So, apparently, in addition to not being "wet", it isn't an electrical hazard either.


I know from experience that Atlanta firefighters already treat their water with a chemical that makes it less "wet". After our 1999 house fire, relatively few of our belongings actually suffered fire damage. It was all water damage from this treated water, which corrodes metal within minutes. "Sapphire", if it works as shown and is economical enough to actually use, is a miracle.

LATER: As John pointed out, I am wrong. The Atlanta Fire Department's chemicals make water "wetter". Hm. One of these days, when I need to be distracted from a root canal or something, I need to look into this. I mean, I understand that "wetter" water puts out fires better, and "less wet" water does less property damage, but I see a conflict coming. Plain old water begins to look like a decent compromise. Perhaps, as Jake said, it has something to do with how it's applied, and to what kind of property.