The present book deals with the economic, ecological, and damage-related efficiency of fire extinguishing agents, as these aspects are becoming increasingly relevant in firefighting operations today. It discusses their extinguishing effects, advantages and disadvantages, as well as their specific characteristics in practical use. At the beginning, the combustion process and the extinguishing process are analyzed in detail from both a scientific and firefighting perspective. This is followed by a comprehensive chapter examining the individual extinguishing agents and their efficiency. Finally, the goal of the work, the search for a universal extinguishing agent, is addressed.