Remington Hotchkis, Chief Commercialization Officer at Sonic Fire Tech, outlines how infrasound systems detect ignition signatures and deploy targeted acoustic suppression
Wildfires across California and other fire-prone regions increasingly spread through wind-driven embers that travel far ahead of the main fire front.
Structures can ignite even where vegetation has been cleared, because existing protection measures often activate only after combustion has already begun.
Most building systems depend on heat detection, water-based suppression or manual response, leaving a gap between the arrival of embers and the moment a system reacts.
This problem has encouraged interest in approaches that interrupt ignition earlier in the fire chain.
One proposal focuses on infrasound, a form of low-frequency acoustic energy that operates below the range of human hearing.
Sonic Fire Tech is developing systems that use targeted infrasound to interfere with the combustion process and suppress ignition without water or chemical agents.
The technology is being explored for homes, critical infrastructure and operational firefighting tools.
IFSJ Editor Iain Hoey sat down with Remington Hotchkis, Chief Commercialization Officer at Sonic Fire Tech, to discuss how infrasound fire prevention systems are intended to work and where they could be applied.
The term infrasound may be unfamiliar to many readers; how would you describe it, and why did you decide to use it for fire prevention?
Infrasound refers to low-frequency sound waves that are below the audible range of human hearing.
Since it is inaudible, it does not create noise pollution or interfere with electronics.
Household pets, or everyday life.
We chose infrasound because of its effectiveness and that it allows us to address fire risk without causing collateral damage.
How do you believe infrasound interacts with embers or the surrounding air in a way that could stop ignition before a flame forms?
Fire requires three elements: heat, fuel, and oxygen.
When these combine in the right conditions, combustion begins.
Our infrasound technology disrupts this chemical reaction.
The acoustic waves create rapid oscillations in the surrounding air, which interfere with the combustion process by destabilizing the oxygen-fuel interaction.
In simple terms, the sound waves vibrate oxygen at a rate that the chemical reaction of fire can’t take hold, thereby preventing the flame from sustaining itself.
Our early testing has shown when our system is deployed against airborne embers, the soundwaves act as a forcefield which the embers reflect from.
When they land on the ground, they then decay rapidly.
With connective fuels, we also see that combustion process is stopped, such as a wood fence that connects two structures, in the areas that our frequency is being deployed on.
When you install your residential system, what parts of a home are you protecting first, and why those areas?
We have been focused on testing and promoting that our technology is being developed for the exterior wildfire defense of homes.
But builders, insurers, architects, and homeowners realize that we must continue our path proving the technology in 80-100mph winds, ember storms, and 40ft flames 10ft away from another structure that’s burning.
Though initial testing shows we create essentially a sonic forcefield around a structure that mitigates the threat of common ignitions.
The market unanimously has asked, “can you protect the interior of a home from internal residential fires in place of water sprinkler systems?” And the answer is YES.
Because we can detect the flame much quicker, we can respond immediately and suppress a small fire in its earliest state rapidly, without collateral damage of water.
And the best part, no possibility of water leaks ever occurring, which is a well-known liability of internal based water sprinklers.
Further, the homes that burned in LA County are required to integrate water sprinklers to meet the NFPA 13-D mandate in California.
But the water infrastructure is not adequate to provide ample water pressure to meet the mandated system.
So, homeowners who are rebuilding are forced to purchase an upgraded water meter for $20,000 and up, just to meet the sprinkler code mandate.
Turns out, validating our technology on the internal residential path enables a strategic approach to delivering a solution to the market as a foundational pillar to validating our technology in defending the exterior of homes during a wildfire conflagration event.
How does the system know when to activate, and what happens in the moments after it does?
The system is designed to operate autonomously.
FM-certified IR3 sensors continuously scan for early ignition signatures, including fire chemical traces and ember activity.
These sensors feed data into our AI-driven detection system, which evaluates risk conditions in real time.
When the thermal conditions exceed a defined threshold, the system deploys automatically with no human intervention required.
Activation occurs well before traditional sprinkler systems would engage, which typically happens only after flames are fully established.
Once activated, targeted infrasound waves are emitted to interrupt combustion or decay embers on the exterior of a home.
The process leaves no residue, does not alter oxygen levels in living spaces, and does not interfere with electronics or indoor air quality.
It is a silent, rapid-response system designed to act in seconds.
Beyond individual houses, what kinds of sites are you exploring for larger-scale protection, and what makes those sites different from a typical home?
While residential protection is central to our mission, the same core science applies to a range of environments.
We are currently developing our technology to meet all industry demands that water-sprinkler based fire suppression systems currently meet.
We are engaging in commercial pilots this year with several forward-thinking customers who require the most sensitive fire detection and who see the clear benefit of no collateral damage.
In most cases, we are installing our system as a voluntary system that acts as the first stage suppression tech in advance of being certified.
You have also mentioned equipment intended to be carried by people working in fire-prone areas; what problem is that meant to solve, and who might use it?
The Sonic Backpack is designed as a lightweight, portable tool for firefighters and first responders for use on small fires in wildland or urban environments.
In urban areas we are seeing potential for success in extinguishing small rubbish fires., which in Los Angeles account for 120+ calls weekly.
In wildland applications, hot shot crews use 5-gallon initial attack packs, which are quickly depleted and require refilling.
Our backpack unit eliminates that dependency on refilling.
It allows continuous operation for extended periods without water refills and avoids chemical exposure.
The goal is to develop a new tool for firefighters that is dependable and which complements existing equipment and saves critical response time.
What testing, standards, or approvals do you need before this type of technology could be widely accepted by regulators, insurers, or fire services?
We are actively working with leading fire protection engineers to develop our validation case studies needed to inform our certification paths with UL, FM, NFPA.
Currently we are on an initial path to validate the technologies efficacy in exceeding the intent of NFPA 13D, residential interior water sprinklers.
The Sonic Backpack is currently undergoing real-world field testing with firefighters.
Feedback from these deployments informs ongoing research and development.
For regulators and fire services, acceptance ultimately comes down to performance data, reliability, and integration with existing wildfire mitigation frameworks, hence our initial pursuit of NFPA 13D equivalency.
Looking ahead, how do you see this approach fitting alongside existing wildfire measures such as building materials, defensible space, and conventional suppression systems?
Our approach is to complement the proven mitigations that are available in the market today and what comes tomorrow.
We do not intend for our tech to be the silver bullet.
The threat of conflagration events across the world are growing, and we are designing Sonic Fire Tech to be part of the solution to property and community resilience.
How, when, & where our technology best performs in the future of wildfires & urban conflagration events is frankly why we all wake up every morning and are working with purpose to push the tech forward.