VIDEO: The San Bernardino County Fire Department tested new technology on Monday designed to help suppress fires by using sound waves. The live demonstration, which was conducted with Sonic Fire Tech, showcased the cutting-edge system that was developed by former NASA acoustics engineers.
“This technology works without water or chemicals, creating a protective zone that can stop ignition in milliseconds while avoiding the collateral damage often seen with traditional suppression methods,” a news release from SBCoFD said. “From autonomous early detection to rapid suppression, tools like these have the potential to reduce fire damage before it starts, especially in wildfire-prone areas.”
Remington Hotchkis, the Chief Commercialization Officer for Sonic Fire Tech, said that all fires need oxygen to burn, and that their technology breaks it up instead of completely removing it, which could end up being dangerous.
“We vibrate the oxygen at a rate where fire can’t consume it, and it breaks the chemical reaction,” Hotchkis said. “We use infrasound, which are sound waves that are inaudible to the human ear.” Firefighters said that the technology can also be applied inside homes and businesses and could help stop fires like kitchen or appliance fires in their earliest stages.
CBS News Los Angeles
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