The Brief

In the City of Las Pinas, as with many other urban areas in the Philippines, some of the biggest fires occur in the slums. Here, the houses are densely packed and the poor families who occupy them simply cannot afford costly fire extinguishers. Hence, huge urban blazes are commonly caused by the smallest flames. A recent study by fire protection agencies revealed that 80% of such blazes could have been avoided if only they had been extinguished within the first few minutes. So we were tasked to develop something small, cheap and effective in extinguishing small fires.

With a little research, we discovered that vinegar(acetic acid) and baking soda(sodium bicarbonate) had long been used in DIY fire extinguisher projects. The sodium bicarbonate reacts with the acid, expanding the solution. Placed in a container, one can direct a stream of quickly expanding liquid with a small opening. So we decided to prepackage this mixture in sachets for it to be portable and readily available. By enclosing the baking soda in a plastic canister it would sit harmlessly in a sachet of vinegar. When needed, one need only crack the plastic canister and tear the pre-cut tab. The Pocket Fire Extinguisher offered the poor residents of Las Pinas the perfect solution. Something that could not only fit the shanty homes of the less fortunate, but their budget as well. In these areas, once a fire begins, it is almost impossible to stop, as huge fire trucks have no way of navigating the narrow alleyways. Having fire prevention means within their homes, would almost ensure less blazes. As such homes rarely have water sources of their own, the Pocket Fire Extinguisher equips them to protect not only their lives and little property, but even the entire community.

With its success in Las Pinas, other cities have already inquired about the Pocket Fire Extinguisher. To date, there have been demonstrations in several municipalities in Makati. Tests are currently ongoing with the Philippine Bureau of Food and Drugs to ensure that in its current state the solution is safe for prolonged storage. Once these tests are through, we will be mass producing the Pocket Fire Extinguisher for deployment in other cities. A slightly larger 45 ml sachet and a bottled 100 ml version are already in the works.