• New system uses low-frequency sound to stop fire by cutting off oxygen supply
• Automatic, water-free fire suppression designed mainly for small-scale indoor fires

A U.S. aerospace engineer Geoff Bruder, who previously worked on thermal energy research at NASA, has co-founded Sonic Fire Tech to develop an alternative approach to firefighting.

The concept relies on low-frequency sound waves to disrupt the chemical reaction that sustains fire. Since combustion depends on heat, fuel, and oxygen, removing one element is enough to stop it.

The company says its system uses infrasound—sound waves below human hearing—to push oxygen molecules away from the fuel, preventing the fire from continuing.

Bruder explained that the technology “vibrates oxygen faster than fuel can use it,” effectively interrupting the reaction.

The idea is not entirely new. Earlier research, including work by the U.S. Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA), explored how sound affects flames, along with multiple academic studies.

Fire protection expert Albert Simeoni notes that while the physics is well understood, scaling the technology safely without harmful noise remains a key challenge.

Sonic Fire Tech addresses this by using ultra-low frequencies around 20 Hz or lower, which are inaudible to humans and can travel farther than higher-frequency sound waves.

A fire department in San Bernardino has already tested a wearable suppression device, while the company is also developing home-based systems that activate automatically through sensors.

These systems aim to extinguish fires without water damage or chemical use, but the company acknowledges the technology is currently effective only on small fires, not large wildfires.