What was commonly used in the early years of firefighting to pull down a burning building?

The choice of a fire hook as the correct answer is rooted in the historical context of firefighting practices. In the early years of firefighting, particularly before the advent of modern equipment and techniques, fire hooks were utilized by firefighters to gain access to the upper parts of burning structures. These long-handled tools allowed firefighters to pull down sections of a building's roof or walls to help extinguish hidden fires and prevent them from spreading. The use of fire hooks was essential in the tactical approach to managing fire outbreaks, especially in wooden structures, where flames could easily travel through the ceilings and into the walls.

Other options provided do not align as closely with the context of dismantling a burning structure. Hand pumps were primarily used for water delivery to extinguish fires but did not serve the purpose of physically altering or accessing buildings. Chemical engines, which were an early form of firefighting apparatus that utilized chemical reactions to produce a fire-extinguishing agent, would also not be involved in the demolition of burning buildings. Similarly, booster tanks were more advanced 20th-century equipment used to store and supply water rather than physically intervene with a structure that's ablaze. Thus, the fire hook remains a vital historical tool that exemplified the practices of extinguishment and structural management