BEAUMONT, Texas — A Houston man believes he has a solution to fighting flames with a special type of foam.
Jaco Duplessis, the founder and creator of "Protect O Burn," said that the tank farm fire that happened near Houston last month is going down in history as the fire that changes the way fire departments operate.
The foam is a self-expanding foam that eliminates the need for firefighters to depend on pumps and water at a scene.
12News watched two demonstrations Friday, April 5 at the Industrial Rescue Fire Training facility in Beaumont. First, demonstrators showed how the foam quickly stopped a large fire in a tank. Then they showed how this foam prevents a blaze from spreading.
"With our system, you have that quick deployment and it starts extinguishment right away," Duplessis said.
Elevated levels of benzene were detected as a result of three-day fire in Houston. However, Duplessis said the foam is fluorine-free, which isn't harmful for the environment.
READ MORE | ProtectOBurn.com
The foam is being used right now by United Airlines, Marathan Oil and Exxon Mobil.
