Could it be possible to put out a fire merely by applying an electric field? (Courtesy Jeremy Hoare/Life File/Getty Images).

I read a really cool article over at Daily Tech. Harvard researchers presented an interesting idea at the American Chemical Society conference last Sunday. They’ve built a wand that can extinguish fires. No, you don’t wave it around while shouting out mock Latin like Harry Potter. Instead, you use the wand to direct a flow of electricity toward the flames.

It may come as a surprise to you that electricity can affect flames, particularly since electricity can actually start a fire. The researchers hypothesize that an electric current can make particles of soot within the flames move, and if you direct the current just right you can use those particles to smother the fire and put it out.

The wand uses 600 watts of alternating current to create an electric field. When the researchers applied the field to flames about a foot and a half high, the fire extinguished almost immediately.

Is it possible that the firefighters of the future will wear backpacks carrying batteries and wield electricity the way they use water today? Why not? Water can cause significant damage. The electric field could also cause problems — magnetic storage doesn’t react well to shifting electric fields, for example. But it might mean less damage overall compared to traditional firefighting techniques.

UPDATE: Jaymi Heimbuch wrote a great blog post about the technology at our sister site Treehugger. Thanks for the heads up, Jaymi!

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