SAN BERNARDINO COUNTY, Calif. — San Bernardino County firefighters are testing a new technology that can extinguish fires using sound waves instead of water or chemicals.
On March 31, the San Bernardino County Fire Department hosted a live demonstration with Sonic Fire Tech, a company founded by former NASA acoustics engineers.
The system uses infrared sensors to detect flames and then deploys inaudible infrasound waves — low-frequency sound that humans cannot hear — to vibrate oxygen molecules and break the chemical reaction that allows fire to burn.
The technology stops fires in milliseconds while avoiding water damage and chemical residue. Officials say it shows promise for both home fire protection, such as kitchen grease fires, and creating defensive zones around properties in wildfire-prone areas.
The San Bernardino County Fire Department serves more than two million people in Southern California and is actively exploring innovative tools to improve fire response and reduce property damage.
Sonic Fire Tech is developing permanent home-installation systems that could one day supplement or replace traditional sprinklers. The controlled demonstration successfully extinguished several types of test fires.
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Stops fires in milliseconds while avoiding water damage and chemical residue.
Stops fires in milliseconds while avoiding water damage and chemical residue.
