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 (e.g., `NaH, CaH_2` etc) react with water violently to form corresponding metal hydroxide with the evolution of dihydrogen as,
`NaH(s) + H_2 O (l) to NaOH (aq) + H_2 (g) `
`CaH_2 (s)+ 2H_2 O (l) to Ca(OH)_2 (aq) + 2H_2 (g)`
These reactions are very exothermic and the evolved `H_2` catches fire. The fire produced cannot be extinguished by `CO_2` because it gets reduced by hot extinguished by `CO_2` because it gets reduced by hot metal hydride .
`NaH + CO_2 to HCOONa`
However , sand is used because it is highly stable solid.