Halt! FIRE Forges Safety Empire with Green Fire Acquisition

WINDERMERE, Fla. – April 23, 2026 – In a strategic move poised to reshape the fire safety industry, consumer products innovator Halt! FIRE today announced its acquisition of Green Fire, a specialist in industrial-grade, environmentally safe firefighting technology. The acquisition coincides with the launch of a new division, Halt Industrial, effectively creating a vertically integrated company aimed at leading the global transition away from toxic, PFAS-based fire suppressants.

The deal, announced in celebration of Earth Day with financial terms undisclosed, merges Halt! FIRE's established retail distribution and brand power with Green Fire's field-proven, fluorine-free formulas. The combined entity is now positioned to offer a comprehensive suite of safety solutions, from a handheld spray can for kitchen grease fires to large-scale suppressants for municipal fire departments and power utility companies, all unified under a commitment to non-toxic technology.

A Market Transformed by Regulation

The acquisition arrives at a critical inflection point for the multi-billion dollar fire safety market. For decades, the industry relied on Aqueous Film-Forming Foams (AFFF) for their effectiveness in extinguishing high-risk liquid fuel fires. However, these foams contain per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS)—so-called "forever chemicals"—now definitively linked to cancer, reproductive harm, and widespread environmental contamination.

In response, a wave of stringent regulations is forcing a rapid industry-wide overhaul. The U.S. military is under a congressional mandate to phase out PFAS foams by 2025, and the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) officially approved the use of fluorine-free alternatives at airports in late 2023. At the state level, a growing number of legislatures, including those in California, New York, and New Jersey, have enacted aggressive bans on the sale and use of PFAS-containing foams, creating urgent demand for compliant, high-performance replacements. This regulatory pressure has created a significant market vacuum, pushing fire departments, airports, and industrial operators to find viable alternatives without compromising safety.

"Our partnership with Green Fire revealed the significant potential we have to drive positive outcomes and impact together," said Robert Schiederer, co-founder and Partner of Halt! FIRE, in a statement. "By delivering a safer way to fight fires for both the user and the environment, we realized we weren't just launching a product — we were building a movement. With Halt Industrial, we now have the infrastructure to take that movement to every fire station, utility fleet, and job site in America."

The Strategic Union of Consumer and Industrial

The relationship between the two companies began in 2024 with a partnership to develop a consumer firefighting product. That collaboration highlighted the powerful synergy between Green Fire’s scientific expertise and Halt! FIRE's marketing and distribution prowess, leading to the full acquisition. The new, unified company will operate through two distinct divisions.

Halt! FIRE will continue as the consumer-facing brand, marketing its flagship handheld firefighting spray. The compact, residue-free product is notable for its versatility, rated to combat Class A, B, C, D, K, and even challenging Lithium-ion battery fires—a growing concern in modern households. It is sold directly to consumers and through national retail partners.

The newly formed Halt Industrial, which absorbs Green Fire's operations, will serve the professional and institutional markets. Its portfolio includes a comprehensive lineup of firefighting foams, wetting agents, and fire suppressants designed for wildland, urban, and industrial applications. Crucially, these products are marketed as non-corrosive, non-carcinogenic, and PFAS-free. The company touts certifications such as being NSF White Book Listed, signifying compliance with public health and safety standards, and safe for use in sensitive areas like food processing environments.

"Green Fire developed exceptional, proven products," stated Jerry Bello, co-founder and Partner of Halt! Fire. "By pairing that innovation with Halt!'s marketing and distribution engine, we've created a winning formula for national scale. Fire departments, utilities, and contractors no longer have to choose between performance and safety. With Halt Industrial, they get both."

The Challenge of a Safer Alternative

While the push away from PFAS is clear, the transition is not without its challenges. The fire and life safety sector is highly fragmented, with established chemical giants now competing alongside specialized fluorine-free foam (F3) manufacturers. Halt Industrial enters a competitive field where proving performance is paramount.

Some fire safety experts have raised concerns that early-generation fluorine-free foams may not match the rapid extinguishment capabilities of their PFAS-based predecessors, potentially requiring larger volumes or different application techniques. However, ongoing research and development in the F3 space have yielded significant advancements. Independent testing by industry consortiums has shown that modern F3 formulations can perform exceptionally well, meeting rigorous standards for extinguishing large-scale fuel fires.

Halt Industrial's advantage may lie in its vertically integrated model and its inherited technology from Green Fire, which was developed from the ground up to be fluorine-free rather than being a reverse-engineered version of an older formula. By controlling the technology, manufacturing, and distribution from industrial to consumer markets, the company can build a trusted brand identity centered on both efficacy and environmental responsibility. This unified approach could prove decisive in a market where trust and reliability are non-negotiable. The company's ability to offer a single-source, compliant solution for an organization's entire fire safety needs—from the fleet vehicles to the office breakroom—presents a compelling value proposition in this new era of fire suppression.