The parachutes are command activated. There is a handle in the ceiling of the aircraft between the pilot and co-pilot. Pull the handle out and it dangles from a cable. Two hands, pull straight down with 35lbs of force (don't jerk it). It is a very deliberate pull. The only way it would make a fire worse is if it caused you to remain aloft for a longer period of time, which is what it is designed to do. Each Cirrus is also equipped with a fire extinguisher, but there is only so much you can do in a case like this one.