BLACKSBURG, Va. – Putting a fire out is not always an easy task for firefighters, and many of the chemicals used today can do harm to the environment, but a researcher at Virginia Tech is working to develop an alternative to suppressing fires.
Head of the mechanical engineering department at Virginia Tech, Brian Lattimer, is focusing on developing a fire-suppressing foam alternative that reduces the harm to the environment.
He said this foam can fight fires that are out of control, without what they call forever toxins going into the Earth.
“We’re looking to try to identify or to help chemists design new molecules that break down easier in the environment,” said Lattimer. “They are environmentally friendly but are also really effective fire suppressant agents.”
He said these new firefighting foams can be as effective as previous foams, they just can require a higher volume of foam.