Both a fire blanket and the spray from a fire extinguisher put out a fire by pressing down on the fire and pushing any oxygen away. when there is no oxygen, the fire stops. sometimes it is safe to pour water on a fire to put it out, but if a fire is ever caused by electrical energy, water will spread the fire. with this in mind, what most likely explains why it is important to make sure hands are dry before working with any scientific electrical equipment? fires are started by water. germs should not be electrified. water can carry electricity. wet fire blankets will not work.