Fire suppression foam is comprised of three parts i.e foam concentration, water, and air. When mixed correctly, these parts form a homogeneous foam blanket that extinguishes flames by the combined mechanisms of cooling, separating the flame source from the product surface, suppressing vapors, and smothering. This makes foam suppression systems an effective option for protecting flammable and combustible liquids.

Firefighting foam is a foam used for fire suppression. Its role is to cool the fire and to coat the fuel, preventing its contact with oxygen, resulting in suppression of combustion.