16-Year-Old Mexican Student Invents Sound-Wave Fire Extinguisher That Puts Out Flames in Seconds
Mexican student creates an acoustic fire extinguisher to put out fire in seconds
Ángela Karime Venegas Hernández, a 16-year-old student at CETIS 78 in Altamira, Tamaulipas, has built an acoustic fire extinguisher that uses sound waves to snuff out flames. Her device combines a 12-volt battery, a frequency generator, and a speaker emitting 30 pulses per second; the vibration pushes oxygen away, extinguishing fires in five to eight seconds. After more than 100 tests, it worked on wood, flammable liquids, cooking grease, and electronics. Named Vortex Tech, it will represent Mexico at an international fair.
That vibration pushes oxygen away from the flames, and the fire simply goes out in five to eight seconds.
- nilslindemann
Well, a search for "youtube acoustic fire extinguisher" indicates it has already been invented a few times by people all over the world. The most interesting video is https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZvnCQg4w4o8
- jll29
I will not ask if she patented it, or if others had the idea before, or if it is ready to be productized.
Just simply: it is great that young people, driven by personal curiosity, go and explore their ideas, find solutions to long-standing challenges.
Billiant, keep inventing!
- Animats
This seems to be a known technology but hasn't made it as a product.[1] It might have potential for very specific types of extinguishing, such as grills and grain silos, where the distance from extinguisher to trouble spot is fixed.
- frickinLasers
I wonder if she got the idea from https://www.sonicfiretech.com/
- gos9
Wow, must be the same school that keeps pumping out students who invent water powered cars and machines that turn plastic into gasoline. HN with another YouTube shorts tier front page submission.
- commoner
Infobae has more information (in Spanish) and a video demonstrating the fire extinguisher:
https://www.infobae.com/mexico/2026/08/27/se-puede-apagar-el...
- kevin_nisbet
Not exactly acoustic but reminds me of a high school science project we had one year, something along the lines of put out a candle with a contraption. My partner and I rigged up a balloon to be popped by the candle, and the balloon pop blows out the candle. Probably not an original idea, but I don't think any other group in the class tried a similar approach. Worked like a charm.
- MathMonkeyMan
When an oil well goes off, high explosives can be used to extinguish it. Maybe this is the same principle.