I was considering the scenario had shrapnel gone through a fuel tank and stumbled on this:
The Airbus A380 will not feature fuel tank inerting, but rather a comprehensive effort to minimize ignition sources. National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) officials say the system safety assessments upon which the fuel system for the A380 is predicated, with the focus on ignition sources, is an incomplete approach.
NTSB Disappointed That A380 Fuel Tanks Will Not Be Inerted | Air Safety Week | Find Articles at BNET
The rebuff was:
"Fuel tank inerting technology separates nitrogen and oxygen from engine bleed-air and uses the nitrogen to inert the tank, or make it less flammable. The technology to use the separated oxygen for additional cabin air has apparently become too cumbersome; therefore, the oxygen by-product will be dumped overboard. The initial passenger versions of the A380 will not have a center fuel tank; therefore, inerting will not be necessary."
Concerns about NDT of new Airbus A380
Thoughts? Had shrapnel gone through a fuel tank, would inerting have lessened any damage?