Sound Waves Could Help Protect California Businesses and Homes From Wildfires

California-based Sonic Fire Tech has developed a new fire suppression system that uses sound waves to vibrate oxygen molecules, preventing them from readily mixing with fuel, disrupting combustion, and reducing the growth of fires. The new system is currently set for trials with two California utilities companies, and Sonic Fire Tech has signed contracts with homeowners to perform 50 pilot installations in 2026.

Using sound waves to combat fires has been tried a few times. As Scientific American highlights, DARPA investigated it between 2008 and 2011, and George Mason University built a functional soundwave extinguisher in 2015. But Sonic Fire Tech is using lower-frequency sound waves in the 20Hz range, below the range of human hearing. This requires more specialized equipment, but the effect is a more capable fire suppression system that can operate at greater distances without affecting anyone nearby.

"It's basically vibrating the oxygen faster than the ...