Aspen businesses patent biodegradable fire foam

By Will Buzzerd Sopris Sun Correspondent

Last month, Aspen-based business Multi-Inc., in partnership with development company AspenGlo, unveiled a new, federally patented biodegradable fire-resistant foam design to protect structures in the event of wildfire. The newly developed foam is not only unprecedented in its reduction of environmental harm, but its long-lasting protection against flames.

After seven years in development, founder and president of Multi-Inc. Ken Johnson announced the patent in his home state of Colorado, declaring it “ultimately the right place” to unveil a revolutionary new way to keep at-risk communities safe.

Firefighting foam has existed since 1902 as an extremely effective tool for fire suppression. Foams are superior to water in that they can completely block a fire’s access to oxygen, and can even suppress fires with liquid fuels (such as gasoline).

Additionally, significant energy is required to vaporize the foam, meaning it won’t evaporate from heat nearly as quickly as just a layer of water on a structure. Within the various types of firefighting foams, Class A foams are used for fires with solid materials like wood and plastic fuel, and function primarily by “expanding water” into a thick layer, allowing better fire control with less water. They also allow water to soak into the fuel, reducing the chance of rekindling. On the other hand, Class B foams are specifically tailored for liquid fuel fire, and work by smothering a fuel’s explosive vapors.

However, both Class A and B foams have specific drawbacks. Class A foams generally do not contain fire-retardant chemicals and, while that makes them less environmentally harmful, it means that once they evaporate, they can no longer protect against a fire. According to “Class A Foam: Best Practice for Structure Firefighters” by Dominic J, Coletti, “[Evaporation] happens quickly if the exposure is adjacent to a high-intensity fire. After a foam application evaporates off a wood exposure, the wood continues to absorb heat, boils-off internal moisture, and erupts in flames after reaching its ignition temperature ... One coat of Class A foam is not a ‘cure-all’ during most exposure protection operations.”

Conversely, Class B foams do contain chemicals with serious human and environmental health concerns. Many Class B foams are aqueous film-forming foams (AFFF) which contain toxic, non-biodegradable per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS). PFAS are incredibly difficult to break down and are highly permeable, able to easily move into soil and organisms.

PFAS have been linked to cancer, reproductive and developmental issues, and immunological issues. A study performed by the International Pollutants Elimination Network in 2019 found that “firefighters using AFFF have unacceptably elevated blood levels of [types of PFAS].” Even the U.S. Department of Defense briefed Congress in 2022 about phasing out the use of AFFF, citing environmental and human dangers.

The recently patented foam by Multi-Inc. and AspenGlo seeks not only to provide firefighters with a tool that is safe for both them and water systems. It also seeks to remedy Class A foams’ Achilles heel: their poor utility as a protective measure.

In 2021, AspenGlo conducted tests with firefighters and other industry partners with great success. According to AspenGlo’s press release, “The foam was sprayed on a 10-foot wooden wall, and surrounding soil and concrete, creating a fully-encased eggshell protective layer. The structure was then torched at 3,000 degrees Fahrenheit (1,000 degrees hotter than an average wildland fire). After power washing the spray with the preserved wood cocooned safe underneath, the wall was found in nearly pristine condition.”

And, after spraying, “the foam adheres for a number of days as a hard shell,” meaning that it can be deployed far in advance and much further from dangerous blazes than the typical Class A foam. As of yet, there are no other firefighting foams that act in the same way.

The frequency of wildfires generally trends higher as time goes on, and the burn scars of 2018’s Lake Christine Fire are still plainly visible from up and down Highway 82.

Allison Holloran, President of AspenGlo, stated, “We were adamant that there was no time like the present to move forward on getting Multi-Inc.’s product into the meaningful hands of those that can be the most impactful.”

As the Valley’s population increases, our firefighters need the best equipment for keeping vulnerable communities and ecosystems safe. AspenGlo and Multi-Inc. are greatly confident that this newly patented foam will do just that.