Magazine flooding works best before fire takes hold

Would the Royal Navy develop automatic fire detection and magazine flooding?

Yes, but the preferred logic is preventive: flood when penetration or an imminent threat is detected rather than wait for a magazine fire to begin.

British work on automatic magazine protection emphasized preventing a fire. The proposed trigger was penetration of the compartment or another indication that ignition was imminent. Flooding at that point could sacrifice ammunition availability while avoiding the danger of waiting for an established magazine fire.