Acoustic Fire Suppression System: Sonic Fire Tech’s new technology that could prevent wildfires

Staff Reporter | PNN:
Ten years ago, two college students invented a fire extinguisher that could put out flames using a 10-inch subwoofer. At the time, the innovation went viral — even Jimmy Fallon invited them to demonstrate it on The Tonight Show. However, after that initial buzz, little was heard about the technology.

Now, a startup claims to have successfully developed the idea further. The company, Sonic Fire Tech, has created an acoustic fire suppression system that not only extinguishes flames but could also help protect forests and buildings from wildfires. The company recently raised $3.5 million in seed funding, backed by Khosla Ventures and Third Sphere.

In recent years, the economic toll of wildfires in the United States has reached as high as $424 billion annually, particularly in states like California, where insurance companies are increasingly refusing to renew home policies in fire-prone areas. Sonic Fire Tech aims to address this growing crisis with its breakthrough technology.

Michael Thomas, chairman of Sonic Fire Tech’s board, had been working on the concept for several years. When he faced technical challenges, he reached out on LinkedIn to Jeff Bruder, a former NASA researcher specializing in heat and acoustics.

At first, they experimented with a standard subwoofer to suppress flames, but they soon shifted to lower-frequency sound waves. The reason: audible sound frequencies powerful enough to extinguish fires could also cause damage to human hearing. As a result, they developed a new system that produces infrasound — sound waves below 20 Hz, which are beyond the range of human hearing.

The system uses a reciprocating piston powered by an electric motor to generate infrasound. Sonic Fire Tech’s current prototype has an effective range of 25 feet, though the company claims that larger models could extend that range up to 330 feet.

This technology could play a key role in enhancing home and building safety, particularly in wildfire-prone regions. The system directs infrasound from a central generator through rigid ducts placed beneath roofs and walls. Once a fire is detected, the system activates automatically.

Another major advantage is that it does not require water, making it far more practical in wildfire zones where water resources are often limited. Currently, Sonic Fire Tech is testing the system with PG&E and Southern California Edison, and has signed a letter of intent with a chemical storage facility to deploy the technology.

If successfully commercialized, this innovation could become an effective fire suppression system for homes, offices, and other buildings in the near future — potentially changing the way we combat and prevent fires.