Meet Henry and Jack Grover, twins whose wildfire hydrogel beat water ninefold
Identical twins Henry and Jack Grover developed a sprayable hydrogel that significantly improves the cooling of smoldering wildfire debris. Their innovation, which helps prevent fire rekindling, earned them a spot as finalists in a prestigious junior science competition.
Why it matters
This innovation offers a practical, low-cost solution to a major challenge in wildfire management and post-fire safety.
When Henry and Jack Grover nearly lost their Riverside, California, home to a wildfire, the experience changed the way they thought about fire safety. The identical twins wanted to understand why areas that appear extinguished can still contain hot, smouldering material capable of reigniting days later. Their answer was a sprayable hydrogel designed to hold water against hot surfaces for longer than water alone. According to the Society for Science, the twins’ hydrogel-treated charcoal took 27 minutes to reignite, compared with just three minutes for charcoal sprayed with water. The Riverside Unified School District says their project earned them a place among the 2026 Thermo Fisher Scientific Junior Innovators Challenge’s Top 30 finalists. Read on to know more about their innovation here:A wildfire close to homeFor Henry and Jack, the project began with a frightening personal experience.
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