FIGHTING FIRES WITH SOUND WAVES INSTEAD OF WATER

FIGHTING FIRES WITH SOUND WAVES INSTEAD OF WATER

We have heard of fighting fires with chemicals instead of water, but have you heard of fighting fires with sound waves?

Surprising as it may seem, what is even more surprising is that the inventor is a 17-year-old girl from Mexico named Ángela Karime Venegas Hernández.

She developed an experimental firefighting device called VORTEX TECH, which uses low-frequency sound waves to extinguish small flames without using water or chemicals. Working with her uncle and mentor, she reportedly spent almost a year developing and improving five different prototypes. Her efforts earned her a Gold Medal at the International Science and Invention Fair 2026 in Indonesia.

But should we be surprised that a young inventor from a developing country could come up with such an innovation?

I don't think so. We have seen many young inventors from developing countries, including the Philippines, come up with remarkable ideas. The bigger question is whether we are doing enough to discover, encourage and support them.

For all we know, there may already be many young Filipino inventors around us, but we simply do not see them. Perhaps we do not see them because we do not hear them.

I had a few ideas myself when I was a teenager, but I simply put them aside because I did not know what to do with them. But that is another story.

What makes this Mexican invention particularly interesting is its potential to reduce dependence on water, which is becoming increasingly scarce in many parts of the world. We could always argue that chemicals are available as alternatives, but specialized firefighting chemicals and equipment can be expensive. In many developing countries, the bigger problem is not necessarily the price of water, but its availability.

And if water becomes scarce, its price could also increase.

I could be wrong, but is it possible to have a shortage of sound waves?

Of course, this technology still has limitations. Sound-based firefighting works mainly on small, exposed flames. It may not be suitable for large fires, deep-seated fires or situations where the burning material remains hot enough to reignite. There are also questions about power requirements, operating distance and the possible effects of extremely loud sound on people.

Nevertheless, I believe this deserves serious scientific evaluation.

I actually sent a note to the Bureau of Fire Protection (BFP) about this technology, and someone replied that their chief would study it. I hope this initial interest will lead to something more concrete.

I suggest however that the matter be elevated to the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG), which supervises the BFP, with the participation of the Department of Science and Technology (DOST). The DOST could help arrange an independent technical evaluation and, if warranted, conduct actual firefighting tests.

It might also be worthwhile to involve the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA), which could ask our Philippine Embassy in Mexico City to establish contact with the young inventor, her research team or the appropriate Mexican science authorities.

More importantly, why don't we establish a systematic program to identify and support young Filipino inventors? Schools, universities, DOST offices and LGUs could organize invention fairs, provide mentoring, offer small research grants and help promising young people develop working prototypes.

We should not wait until our young inventors win international awards before we recognize their talents.

Sometimes, the next big Filipino invention may already be sitting in a classroom, a garage or a small community workshop. All we need to do is find it, listen to its inventor and give that young mind a chance.

BY RAMON IKE V. SENERES

www.facebook.com/ike.seneres  iseneres@yahoo.com  senseneres.blogspot.com   09088877282/09-28-2027

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