Saline hydrides are known to react with water violently producing fire. Can `CO_(2)` a well known fire extinguisher, be used in this case? Explain.

Explanation

Saline hydrides (i.e., NaH, LiH, etc.) react with water to form a base and hydrogen gas. The chemical equation used to represent the reaction can be written as:
The reaction is violent and produces fire.
CO2 is heavier than dioxygen. It is used as a fire extinguisher because it covers the fire as a blanket and inhibits the supply of dioxygen,