Former NASA Engineers Use Sound Waves to Extinguish Fires

Former NASA engineers at California-based Sonic Fire Tech have developed a method to extinguish fires using low-frequency sound waves. The technology is designed to stop blazes from spreading through residential neighborhoods and could potentially be deployed to mitigate wildfires, such as those seen in the Pacific Palisades.

The system functions by targeting oxygen molecules with sound waves that vibrate them, which disrupts the fire’s ability to grow. According to the company, this process breaks the chemical reaction necessary for a flame to sustain itself.

Sound waves vibrate the oxygen faster than the fuel can use it, and break the chemical reaction of the flame.

Remington Hotchkis, Chief Commercialization Officer at Sonic Fire Tech

Field Testing and Deployment

The San Bernardino County Fire Department conducted tests of the equipment using a backpack-mounted version of the technology. These trials involved extinguishing small blazes on shrubs as well as a stovetop fire.

Beyond portable firefighting equipment, Sonic Fire Tech is developing a home application for the system. In this configuration, the system would be activated upon detecting a fire and would transmit sound waves through a home’s existing duct system to snuff out the blaze.

Reports indicate that these sound waves can reach as far as 30ft from a home. The company has stated that the sound used in the process is harmless to humans and pets.

Engineering and Physics

The development of the technology is led by a team of former NASA engineers. The company describes the application of these acoustic principles as a matter of physics rather than a miracle.

Our former NASA engineers are rocket scientists, and they say it seems like magic, but it’s just physics.

Executive at Sonic Fire Tech