Overview
Annual forest fires in southern Europe, California, Canada and — increasingly — Sweden, Germany and Siberia threaten ecosystems, settlements and agriculture, while suppression resources remain severely limited: water is delivered by helicopter and aircraft, which makes its use expensive and of low effectiveness. ARBOK-STOPFIRE replaces water with solutions of acid waste from the phosphate industry, wine production and other sectors. Applied along the fire edge, the solution creates a strip of "already-consumed" vegetation that cannot sustain combustion. The approach relies on cheap industrial waste requiring no special purification, and on local soil chemistry (carbonate soils) for rapid neutralisation and minimal ecological damage.
> Source discrepancy: the second part of the source document opens by describing the technology as the selective insecticide Arbok-Termite targeting termites and ants (phosphate waste conversion, selective organic burn-off, up to 2,000 m² coverage per application, independent third-party certification), yet closes by naming the same technology Arbok-STOPFIRE. The card reproduces both framings without choosing between them.
Applications
Fire-break and separation strips treated so that they cannot sustain combustion and stop the spread of forest fires at their boundary. Localisation and slowing of active wildfire fronts. Pre-emptive protection of fire-prone areas by pre-positioned reservoirs. Per the second block of the source, the same solution is also positioned for pest control against termites and ants, sustainable pest-management projects, licensing and joint ventures.
Operating Principle
Instead of plain water, a solution of acid waste is applied along the fire edge. Three effects follow:
- neutralisation of the acids by soil carbonates, releasing carbon dioxide and water;
- formation of a gaseous and moist cushion that blocks further flame spread;
- significant cooling of the environment through endothermic processes and evaporation of volatile components.
The result is a band of "already-affected" vegetation incapable of supporting combustion. The acids neutralise and burn off organic matter in the soil, forming water, evaporating carbon dioxide and less harmful compounds, so that ecosystems are not destroyed; the treated fraction of organic matter will not sustain combustion in a large fire while remaining available for further land use.
Energy barrier: calculations and practice show that when 1 m² of surface is treated with 10 litres of acid solution, igniting wood in that zone requires at least an additional 3.1 MJ of energy (energy consumed by neutralisation and evaporation), which significantly exceeds the thermal energy available to a fire front under natural spread.
Stated limitation carried over from the source: effectiveness depends on carbonate soils for fast neutralisation — the Cyprus results are explicitly attributed in part to the island's carbonate soils. The source also states that the width of the strip destroyed by the solution is not yet established and remains an open question for follow-up testing. The source states that further work must be directed at large-scale testing and optimisation of the technology.
Key Parameters
| Parameter | Value |
|—|—|
| Fire front advance rate after treatment | Reduced 13.5×: from 1 metre per minute to approximately 1 metre per 13.5 minutes |
| Additional energy required to ignite treated wood | At least 3.1 MJ per 1 m² treated with 10 litres of solution |
| Application rate used in the energy calculation | 10 litres per 1 m² |
| Feedstock | A multi-component acid blend derived from phosphate-industry and winery waste streams, combining several functional acid classes; used without special purification |
| Conversion process | Waste feedstock is converted into the working solution through a vacuum cold-boiling stage operated under deep vacuum |
| Resulting working solution | A concentrated acid-based fire-suppressing solution |
| Time to organic burn-off effect | Within 6 hours; complete cessation of activity after 24 hours |
| Treated area per application (second block of source) | Up to 2,000 m² |
| Width of the treated strip | Not yet quantified; the source flags it as an open question for follow-up testing |
Architecture and Components
Acid waste feedstock from phosphate industry, wine production and other sectors, used without special purification. Vacuum cold-boiling conversion stage operating under deep vacuum, transforming phosphate waste into a concentrated acid-based working solution. PVC barrels for distributed field storage. Corrosion-resistant containers for storage with protective equipment. Specialised fire trucks fitted with chemical-reagent protection systems, or acid-resistant sprayers.
Advantages
Economically advantageous through the use of cheap industrial waste requiring no special purification. Low production costs due to minimal energy consumption and absence of consumables. Environmental safety: acids neutralise into water, evaporating carbon dioxide and less harmful compounds; no ecosystem destruction; treated organic matter remains available for further land use. Selective action that does not harm small animals, bees, birds and trees. Circular-economy contribution by repurposing industrial waste, protection of non-target species, compliance with environmental regulations and reduction of waste pollution. Radical slowing or complete stopping of wildfire spread compared with water delivered by air.
Integrations
Formal integrations are not yet documented; the technology is designed to interoperate with existing fire-service equipment, forward-deployed reservoir networks, and civil-protection dispatch and land-management planning workflows.
Deployment & Operation
Two deployment modes are described. Passive: the solution is stored in PVC barrels placed at defined intervals across fire-prone locations; when exposed to fire the barrel ruptures and the solution is released automatically, forming a protective barrier. Active: application directly from specialised fire trucks equipped with chemical-reagent protection systems, or from tanks and dedicated acid-resistant sprayers as the fire develops. Storage in corrosion-resistant containers with protective equipment. Production launch is planned for the near term. The technology is offered for projects, licensing or joint ventures.
TRL
Field-tested. Trials in Cyprus in 2025 were carried out under real fire conditions, with individual fire sections ceasing combustion entirely after treatment and treated wood failing to ignite even under high thermal load. Field and laboratory testing confirmed effectiveness and selectivity, with independent third-party certification confirming safety and effectiveness. The source describes the trials as preliminary and states that further work must be directed at large-scale testing and optimisation.
Market Potential
A precise global market size is not established in the source, though the affected geographies — southern Europe, California, Canada, Sweden, Germany and Siberia — outline a broad and growing addressable footprint as wildfire frequency and severity increase across these regions.
Typical Project Economics
Production costs are low, driven by minimal energy consumption, absence of consumables and the use of free industrial-waste feedstock; specific per-unit cost, price or CAPEX figures are not yet published.
Risk Factors
- Dependence on carbonate soils for rapid acid neutralisation and minimal ecological damage; the Cyprus results are explicitly attributed in part to local carbonate soils.
- The width of the strip that the solution renders non-combustible is not established in the source and remains an open question for follow-up testing.
- Trials described as preliminary; large-scale testing and optimisation are stated by the source as required next steps.
- Handling of concentrated acid solutions requires corrosion-resistant containers, protective equipment and chemically protected application vehicles.
- Naming and scope ambiguity in the source between Arbok-Termite (insecticide) and Arbok-STOPFIRE (fire barrier) — see the discrepancy note in section 2.
Related Technologies
Arbok-Termite (named in the same source document as the phosphate-waste-derived selective insecticide). Vacuum cold boiling / Vacuum Cracking (the deep-vacuum conversion stage). Additional cross-links within the ARBOK portfolio are not yet formalized.