How should a fire in a lavatory be handled if the door is opened?

• A. Re-enter the lavatory immediately to extinguish the fire.
• B. Maintain control from inside and ignore evacuation risk.
• C. Do not re-enter the indoor area; manage from outside; prepare for evacuation if needed.
• D. Close the cabin door to isolate the lavatory.

Answer: (C)

Opening the lavatory door lets fresh air feed the fire and drives smoke into the cabin, making conditions inside increasingly dangerous. Re-entering to try to extinguish the fire exposes you to heat, toxic gases, and rapidly changing hazards, with little chance of gaining control quickly enough. The safer approach is to stay out of the indoor area, keep the lavatory access controlled from a safe position, and coordinate with crew and the flight deck from outside. Monitor the situation and be prepared to evacuate if the fire grows, smoke becomes untenable, or escape routes are compromised.

In short, containment and safety come from acting from outside the lavatory and readying for evacuation if needed, rather than re-entering to fight the fire.