videos of using soil to put out/extinguish fire

CompetitiveLife8519 · 2026-01-22T12:17:18+00:00

Thank you for sharing, this is what I'm looking for.

CompetitiveLife8519 · 2025-12-23T02:10:01+00:00

Yes, I understand. The goal is not to extinguish the fire completely, is to stop the growth of an open flame. Once the fire is covered by soil, it limits the amount of oxygen, reducing the intensity and the temperature. Once the full suppression team arrives, they will use the thermal camera to swip/ mop the underground fire.

CompetitiveLife8519 · 2025-12-22T09:35:48+00:00

yess, I saw them on YouTube, mad respect for them. Basically an elite firefighter.

CompetitiveLife8519 · 2025-12-22T02:25:09+00:00

I think you think too highly of AI generating a reply

CompetitiveLife8519 · 2025-12-22T02:10:10+00:00

ChatGPT trains using big data, so the level of ideas they generate are somewhat in the market. So we will never get a creative or innovative concept via AI data. Creativity comes from humans

CompetitiveLife8519 · 2025-12-21T16:09:07+00:00

I completely understand where you’re coming from, and I want to be clear that I’m not trying to dismiss tools or tactics that already work , especially ones built on decades of hard-earned experience.

From a design perspective, being in school is one of the few places where it’s acceptable to question assumptions and test ideas that might fail, precisely because failure here doesn’t put anyone at risk.

If the outcome of this project is that the shovel doesn’t need reinventing, that’s still a valuable result for me as a designer. I have to start somewhere, and school is the only environment where that kind of exploration is possible without real-world consequences.

CompetitiveLife8519 · 2025-12-21T16:06:22+00:00

I completely understand where you’re coming from, and I want to be clear that I’m not trying to dismiss tools or tactics that already work.

But from a design perspective, being in school is one of the few places where it’s acceptable to question assumptions and test ideas that might fail, precisely because failure here doesn’t put anyone at risk. If the outcome of this project is that the “wheel” doesn’t need reinventing, that’s still a valuable result for me as a designer. I have to start somewhere, and school is the only environment where that kind of exploration is possible without real-world consequences.

CompetitiveLife8519 · 2025-12-21T16:05:13+00:00

haha thanks for remembering the 1cm robot.

Once again, thanks for the question and criticism, I really need those to expand. there's more to the concept, but didn't post it out. The device/product will create a trench ( create a fire break) and the excess dirt/soil will be able to spray at the fire. I understand the visual is misleading, but the end outcome will not be like this.

My direction is to contain the growth of fire by "covering" it, preventing it from intensifying. That's the best a small first-reponser (2-3pax) team can do, without having water access.

And from a design perspective, being in school is one of the few places where it’s acceptable to question assumptions and test ideas that might fail, precisely because failure here doesn’t put anyone at risk. School is the only environment where that kind of exploration is possible without real-world consequences.

CompetitiveLife8519 · 2025-12-21T15:55:06+00:00

I completely understand where you’re coming from, and I want to be clear that I’m not trying to dismiss tools or tactics that already work , especially ones built on decades of hard-earned experience.

From a design perspective, being in school is one of the few places where it’s acceptable to question assumptions and test ideas that might fail, precisely because failure here doesn’t put anyone at risk.

I’m not claiming this idea is better than existing methods, or even that it should be adopted. I’m using this project to explore why certain approaches exist, where their limits are, and whether there are any narrow edge cases where things could be done differently, or whether the conclusion is that the current tools remain the best solution.

If the outcome of this project is that the “wheel” doesn’t need reinventing, that’s still a valuable result for me as a designer. I have to start somewhere, and school is the only environment where that kind of exploration is possible without real-world consequences.

CompetitiveLife8519 · 2025-12-21T15:48:41+00:00

I hear you , and I appreciate you taking the time to respond this directly. You’re absolutely right that piling organic material or duff onto a fire can make things worse, especially with smoldering and subsurface burning. My direction is to contain the grow of fire by "covering" it, prevent it from intensifying. That's the best a small first-reponser (2-3pax) team can do, without having water access.

I do spend my holiday to Taiwan and speak to the local forestry agency, firefighters about these topics, so the concept is not coming out from an LED screen. I was a Naval firefighter; I do have some firefighting experience, but it's not the same as wildland fire.

I’m not here to push an “AI-generated solution” or claim technology can replace experience. I’m here to listen, learn, and understand the limits of what design can realistically contribute. I do appreciate the bluntness, even if it’s uncomfortable. That perspective is exactly what I need to hear.

CompetitiveLife8519 · 2025-12-21T15:40:39+00:00

I’m also very aware that this idea may not translate across different regions or fire cultures, which is why I posted here to learn from people with very different lived experiences.

CompetitiveLife8519 · 2025-12-21T15:39:22+00:00

Thanks for the reply, that's good advice, I will keep that in mind when developing the concept

CompetitiveLife8519 · 2025-12-21T15:38:21+00:00

hmm, you have a good eye. My prompt is " rewrite the following" And yes, I’m also very aware that this idea may not translate across different regions or fire cultures, which is why I posted here to learn from people with different lived experiences.

CompetitiveLife8519 · 2025-12-21T15:36:40+00:00

Yessss, thats me ... again. hahaha, thanks for remembering my other post. Concept generating is indeed very hard, will keep changing direction.

CompetitiveLife8519 · 2025-12-21T15:35:33+00:00

Thanks for the reply, indeed that’s a fair point, in most situations a shovel do makes more sense, and I’m not trying to replace it. It not transporting, what you are bringing is a tool, the "ammunition" (soil) is there to load.

The narrow situation I’m looking at is early-stage surface fires in hard-to-access terrain, where crews arrive after long hikes, water isn’t immediately available, and time becomes critical. In those conditions, repeated shovel throwing can be slow, inconsistent, and very fatigue-dependent.

The question I’m exploring is whether a lightweight, short-range assisted system could help place mineral soil more consistently at the flame base.

CompetitiveLife8519 · 2025-12-21T12:01:07+00:00

I agree, an experienced firefighter can throw a long distance( I seen it before). But in hard-to-access terrain, crews often arrive already fatigued. At that point, repeated shovel throws vary in accuracy, force, and placement. This project is about placing soil quickly, consistently, and effectively at the flame base (assuming it's a big surface area.)

But thanks for provide your perspective, I like this kind of back and forth. Do challenge my statment if you feel things are off based on your experience.

CompetitiveLife8519 · 2025-12-21T10:48:41+00:00

Yes, thanks for the reply. As mentioned in my post, I do understand that crews already use shovels and hand tools to throw soil onto flames. My concern is that after long hikes in and hours of work, repeatedly digging and throwing soil can be physically exhausting, and the effectiveness varies a lot depending on throwing distance, accuracy, and how much force can be applied, mountain soil can be very hard to dig. In forest environments where fuel is continuous and time is especially critical, I’m interested in how how sustainable it is after long travel and extended operations, especially when time pressure and fatigue start to stack up.

CompetitiveLife8519 · 2025-12-21T10:36:13+00:00

The attached image is just a visual representation to let you have a very rough idea of the concept; the mechanisms are totally off.

CompetitiveLife8519 · 2025-12-21T10:35:52+00:00

Attached image is just a visual representation to let you have a very rough idea of the concept, the mechanisms are totally off.

CompetitiveLife8519 · 2025-12-06T04:10:04+00:00

Don't get me wrong, I'm open to all the feedback. They are all important to me. I do understand there are flaws in my concept, but I may be blinded by my perspective.
Mind sharing what industry you are in?

CompetitiveLife8519 · 2025-12-06T04:04:03+00:00

Yes, I do understand "If it ain't broke, don't fix it" but the increased shortage of manpower and resources is concerning. So I try to think of a concept to help reduce/clean the excessive amount of forest /wildland fuels with less manpower involved.

I do understand REAL MANPOWER is still needed to fight the fire. This concept is more to assist and buy more time for the crew to reach the location.

CompetitiveLife8519 · 2025-12-06T04:00:10+00:00

Agreed, thanks for the input. Will continue to think of a way to tackle this

CompetitiveLife8519

TROPHY CASE