The costly effects of wildfires are unfortunately readily apparent in the devastation left behind, but there's another type of damage that many people might not think about. To combat wildfires, firefighters often deploy an assortment of countermeasures that include toxic chemical foams.

However, researchers developed a new device that could revolutionize the way we fight fires. And the results left them stunned.

In a recent study published on MDPI, researchers based out of The Ohio State University detailed their development of a "low-cost, non-toxic, and portable" device. Utilizing the power of conductive aerosols, the device works by suppressing flames by extending the length of an electric arc.

Described as an "electrically assisted 'ionic wind' fire suppression" system, the researchers say the device could be a more efficient firefighting tool than the technology currently being used.

"These aerosols are carried by vortex rings -- small donut-shaped bands of air -- that transform the particles into short pulses of wind that convert nearby oxygen into ozone," Tech Xplore explained. "Once released, their accelerated airflow generates rapid turbulence, disrupting the natural combustion process and quickly extinguishing the target fire."

Firefighters would be equipped with these devices that attach to an arm brace.

"Using a combination of electricity and this vortex ring technology, we found a more efficient way of solving an environmental problem that will improve our quality of life," John LaRocco, lead author of the study and a research scientist in psychiatry at The Ohio State University College of Medicine, told Tech Xplore.

The research team tested two separate versions of the device. The first prototype was built "relying on an elastic diaphragm to generate a vortex ring." The second "utilized compressed air to generate a vortex ring."

Each device was effective at extinguishing a flame at a range of over six feet, something that stunned the research team. "In both instances, we were blown away by the invention," LaRocco said.

Firefighting foams often contain perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances. These chemicals are known to be toxic. They can harm not only human health but also the environment.

By developing revolutionizing fire countermeasures, we can protect our firefighters and ensure that hazardous "forever chemicals" are kept out of fragile ecosystems.