Overview
- Sonic Fire Tech demonstrated its system at a Concord training center, where a ceiling heat sensor triggered a low-frequency sound blast that knocked down and then put out a simulated kitchen grease fire.
- The company says the emitter uses very low sound waves to jostle oxygen near the flame so the fire cannot keep burning, a mechanism described by its CEO and not yet independently verified.
- A backpack prototype aimed at wildfire crews was shown to local firefighters, who compared it with 5-gallon water packs as the company claimed hours of battery run time, and a fire inspector tried the unit on site.
- The firm frames the system as a supplement to sprinklers to stop small fires before water activates, and a home in Altadena is being rebuilt with room emitters as a pilot that could interest insurers seeking to cut water damage.
- The technology remains in development, and the company says wider adoption depends on agency trials, standards and regulatory review, and buy-in from insurers.