Ryan Fisher knew he wanted to be an engineer but had no idea he’d someday use those skills to build a better wood stove.

Fisher and Taylor Myers co-founded MF Fire, the Baltimore-based maker of a high-tech wood stove designed to burn more efficiently, while reducing carbon emissions and saving users money. “We’re bringing a modern technology and a modern look of a product into a traditional space,” Fisher said. “There hasn’t been much innovation in this space in a long time.”

The 26-year-old Canton resident and Myers met at the University of Maryland, where they both studied fire protection engineering.

Fisher said he landed in the niche after taking a half-credit course on the topic. He had come into Maryland’s engineering school without a particular focus, but said the potential to apply engineering skills in a way that improved efficiency as well as helped protect the environment was a natural fit.

Fisher and Myers started working on the wood stove in 2013 as part of a business competition. They licensed the technology from the university and formed their company in 2014.

MF Fire’s Catalyst wood stove differs from traditional models because of advanced technology that makes it possible to control the temperature remotely from a smartphone or tablet. Fisher compared the features to those of a smart thermostat, which can be programmed to prepare your home to a toasty 72 degrees when you arrive home, while keeping temperatures lower while no one is around. Sensors that identify what Fisher calls “the sweet spot of burning” make it possible for the stove to burn more efficiently, meaning wood lasts longer, and up to 60 times cleaner than a traditional stove, Fisher said.

The stove can heat a space of 2,000 square feet for up to 12 hours, according to MF Fire. Basic models start at about $4,000, according to the company’s website, with custom colors and finishes at an additional cost.

These days, home improvement is top of mind for Fisher even when he’s not tinkering with wood stoves. Fisher and his wife, newlyweds, spend their spare time fixing up the rowhome they bought in Canton, he said.

One update still to come: a state-of-the-art MF Fire wood stove.

sarah.gantz@baltsun.com

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