Final answer:
The best method for dealing with a fire is prevention, as it is cost-effective and safe. When engineers faced a mine fire, they had to balance cost, environmental, and community impact, leading them to let the fire burn as the best solution.
Step-by-step explanation:
The best method of dealing with a fire is preventing the fire from occurring. Prevention is the most cost-effective and safest approach as it avoids the damage and danger associated with fires altogether. In the context of choosing a solution for a mine fire, engineers must consider multiple factors including cost, environmental impact, and effectiveness. The most expensive option might be involving the fire department due to ongoing operational costs, while the one causing the most environmental impact could be using extensive water or chemicals to extinguish the fire. The solution of letting the fire burn might have been chosen due to it being the most feasible or least detrimental in the long term. It’s important for engineers to evaluate all these aspects to arrive at an optimal solution for complex problems like a mine fire.