Beating the Heat

During the summer of 2013, Ohio high school sophomore Savannah Cofer and her family traveled to Arizona for a hiking trip. They weren’t expecting what greeted them. “Everywhere we went, we saw wildfires,” says Savannah, now 18.

One of those blazes was among the worst firefighting disasters in U.S. history. On June 28, 2013, a bolt of lightning ignited Yarnell Hill, near the city of Prescott. Firefighters from the Prescott Fire Department’s elite Hotshot crew went to battle the flames. Wielding chainsaws, the Hotshots were clearing brush and trees to divert the fire from nearby homes. Suddenly the wind shifted. The crew found themselves trapped by a 30 meter (100 foot) wall of flames. There was no way out, and 19 firefighters lost their lives. 

The tragedy shook Savannah. She wondered: Could better gear have saved the firefighters? She teamed up with three friends, and together they set out to upgrade firefighters’ uniforms—a quest that would take them all the way to the White House Science Fair in Washington, D.C.

During the summer of 2013, Savannah Cofer and her family traveled to Arizona. The Ohio high school sophomore was looking forward to this hiking trip. But her family wasn’t expecting what greeted them. “Everywhere we went, we saw wildfires,” says Savannah, now 18.

One of those blazes was among the worst firefighting disasters in U.S. history. It struck on June 28, 2013. A bolt of lightning hit Yarnell Hill, near the city of Prescott. Firefighters from the Prescott Fire Department’s crack Hotshot crew battled the flames. The Hotshots were using chainsaws to clear brush and trees. They hoped to keep the fire from nearby homes. Suddenly the wind shifted. The crew was trapped by a 30 meter (100 foot) wall of flames. There was no way out, and 19 firefighters lost their lives.

The tragedy shook Savannah. She wondered: Could better gear have saved the firefighters? She teamed up with three friends, and they set out to make better firefighters’ uniforms. Their work would take them all the way to the White House Science Fair in Washington, D.C.

Savannah and Varun had been researching new materials for several weeks when inspiration struck. “I thought of instant ice packs, the kind that you crack and they get really cold,” says Savannah. Cracking them allows one chemical to come in contact with another. This causes an endothermic reaction that absorbs heat energy, which makes the packs cold.  

For several weeks, Savannah and Varun researched new materials. Then an idea struck. “I thought of instant ice packs, the kind that you crack and they get really cold,” says Savannah. When they’re cracked, one chemical comes in contact with another. This causes an endothermic reaction that soaks up heat energy. It makes the packs cold.

The duo began hunting for a material that would soak up heat from the environment and keep firefighters cool in the midst of flames. It also needed to be soft and flexible, so that firefighters could wear it comfortably while putting out blazes. After interviewing experts, doing research online, and studying scientific journals, the teens found a material that met all their requirements: alumina-silica hydrate fibers. Temperatures above 100°C (212°F) trigger the fibers to undergo an endothermic reaction. The two friends named their new product FireArmor.

The two began hunting for a material that would soak up heat and keep firefighters cool in the middle of flames. It also had to be soft and bendable. After all, firefighters had to wear it while fighting blazes. The teens spoke with experts, did online research, and studied scientific journals. In the end, they found a material they thought would work. It’s called alumina-silica hydrate fibers. Temperatures above 100°C (212°F) cause an endothermic reaction in the fibers. The two friends named their new product FireArmor.

Savannah and Varun now needed to test their creation. First, they visited commercial laboratories to pit the old aramid fiber material against their FireArmor in a battery of tests. In one test, they looked at the fibers under a high-powered scanning electron microscope. They saw that heat weakens aramid fibers, so suits made with them provide less protection over time. But FireArmor’s endothermic reaction actually makes its molecules knit together and become 50 percent stronger.  

Savannah and Varun needed to test their product. First, they went to commercial laboratories. They compared the old aramid fiber material and their FireArmor in different tests. In one test, they looked at the fibers under a powerful scanning electron microscope. They saw that heat weakens aramid fibers. Over time, suits made with them give less protection. But FireArmor’s endothermic reaction makes its molecules knit together. It ends up becoming 50 percent stronger.

In another test, they heated one side of each material to 1,000°C (1,832°F) and measured how hot the other side got over time. That simulated what a firefighter wearing the material in a blaze would feel. “We found that with the traditional material, the firefighter would survive for only about six seconds,” says Savannah. “FireArmor can protect the firefighter for five minutes—enough time to get out of the situation.” 

 The results impressed John Clay, a chemical engineer at Ohio State University who advised the team on their invention. “They took a fresh look at something that’s been around for a long time,” he says. “I think it’s a really novel solution.” 

In another test, they heated one side of each material to 1,000°C (1,832°F). They measured how hot the other side got over time. That showed what a firefighter wearing the material in a blaze would feel. “We found that with the traditional material, the firefighter would survive for only about six seconds,” says Savannah. “FireArmor can protect the firefighter for five minutes—enough time to get out of the situation.” 

The results impressed John Clay. He’s a chemical engineer at Ohio State University who gave the team advice on their invention. “They took a fresh look at something that’s been around for a long time,” he says. “I think it’s a really novel solution.”