Wildfires destroy thousands of homes in the U.S. every year. According to the National Interagency Coordination Center (NICC), in 2022 alone, these outdoor blazes destroyed 1,261 residences nationwide. As this trend continues to increase, more homes are at risk, and firefighting technologies are evolving to keep pace.
Sonic Fire Tech is exactly such a system. This futuristic home fire defense technology utilizes inaudible sound waves to suppress fires, rather than relying on water, foam, or chemicals. It was designed by former NASA acoustics engineers to mitigate the risk of fire damage fast, and without causing unnecessary damage to your home with water, foam, or chemical suppressants.
“Designed for homes in high-risk wildfire areas, this acoustic fire suppression system creates a non-ignition zone around your property, preventing embers from sparking destruction,” the website claims.
For anyone living in an area where wildfires pose a threat, or for those who own off-grid properties, this system provides an additional layer of protection. Its sensors monitor your home 24/7, and, according to the brand, it can run on its own backup batteries for days if there’s a power outage.
Sonic Fire Tech: How It Works
There are three essential elements that fire needs to sustain a flame: heat, fuel, and oxygen. If you starve a fire of oxygen, it goes out.
That’s the general concept behind Sonic Fire Tech. The system emits sound waves that vibrate the air (read: oxygen) faster than the fire can use it. That suffocates the flame “within milliseconds,” the site claims, and without flooding your home, covering it in foam, or releasing potentially harmful chemical suppressants, all of which cause additional damage.
According to the website, 90% of home fires started by wildfires are attributed to embers. Embers can travel long distances, and when they start to accumulate on a roof or against a wall, that’s when fires start. Sonic Fire Tech uses sensors to detect those embers, then deploys its sonic barrier — like a cone of protection — to suppress fires both outside and inside a building. It then automatically alerts fire services.
The system will never run out of suppressant. It’s autonomous so it monitors for fire threats around the clock, and is concealed along a structure’s rain gutters.
If you want an even more detailed explanation of how the system works, check out the Sonic Fire Tech video demo below.
Sonic Fire Tech custom designs every system. The company evaluates the property it’s installing on, and designs each system for the specific floor plan.
How much does it cost? The website doesn’t list pricing, but does provide an inquiry link to learn more. The brand had not responded to GearJunkie’s inquiry at the time of publishing, but we will update this story if they do.
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