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It was a last resort action.

But I wonder why oxygen extracting bomb are not used more often.

Firefighters here (Netherlands) sometimes use them in old wooden houses. They are like grenates that extract all oxygen so the fire dies.

That seems like a much better idea, but I don't know anything about oxygen extraction.

Like some type of Halon grenade?

http://elidefire.com/products.htm?

That is strangely reminiscent of Larry Niven's "The Magic Goes Away."

It might just work in Sweden, which has a low population density, but the fires around Potsdam are in the Berlin vicinity - people would probably frown at bombings, even if the bombs used are laser-guided precision ordnance.

I’d want a thorough analysis of the probablility of failure, certainly. A 90% on-target rate would be just fine for a weapon of war but is probably bad for a firefighting tool.

Cost might be an issue... let alone the issue of leaving your own ordinance that fails to detonate.. .

We have nukes in California. Nuking fires might be worth a try.