A method for extinguishing fire, wherein a gas an
aerosol mixture is fed into a space includes steps of igniting a
pyrotechnic composition that ensures a predetermined temperature profile during burning and a predetermined composition of the gas and
aerosol mixture completely oxidizing the
combustion products of incomplete
combustion of the
pyrotechnic composition by causing them to pass through a
bed of catalytically active substances, which is located in the zone of the
maximum temperature of the temperature profile of
combustion of the
pyrotechnic composition, with the temperature remaining constant by redistribution of said profile; cooling the
combustion products and completely oxidizing them by reacting with substances having
high heat absorbing capacity, concurrently with the filtering of the
combustion products according to composition of the
gas phase and particle size of the
aerosol phase. An apparatus for extinguishing fire, having a casing (1) that has a
discharge port (2), a
combustion chamber (3) that is accommodated in the casing (1) and heat insulated from the walls of the casing (1), a pyrotechnic composition (4) and an igniter (5) that are received in the
combustion chamber, a cooling section (9) and a complete
catalytic oxidation section (6) that has a pair of spaced
metal gratings (8a, 8b) between which a catalytically active substance is placed and that is located at a fixed distance from the pyrotechnic composition (4). A compensation device (10) is provided for maintaining the above-mentioned fixed distance during the burning of the pyrotechnic composition (4).