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A pink and red powder is being used to fight wildfires in California, but what is it?

A pink and red powder is being used to fight wildfires in California, but what is it?

As crews battle devastating wildfires in Southern California, images have emerged of aerial tankers dropping red and pink powder on the outskirts of Los Angeles.

The eye-catching substance – fire retardant – is now a common sight in the area, coating roads, roofs and cars.

Officials said thousands of gallons of the substance were dumped over the past week to stop the flames from spreading. But what exactly is in it and how does it help fight fires?


The flame retardant is a product called Phos-Chek, which is sold by a company called Perimeter, reports the Telegraph.

It has been used to fight fires in the US since 1963, and is the primary long-term fire retardant used by the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection.

It is also the most widely used fire retardant in the world, according to a 2022 report in the Associated Press.

Its use has been controversial in the past for its potential effects on the environment.

A lawsuit filed in 2022 by Forest Service Employees for Environmental Ethics, an organization made up of current and former U.S. Forest Service employees, accused the federal agency of violating the nation's clean water laws by dumping fire retardant chemicals into forests.

He argued that the chemical kills fish and is not effective.

The following year, a US district judge agreed with the workers, but in her ruling allowed the Forest Service to continue using the retardant as it requires a permit to do so from the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

The case drew attention to communities devastated by fires in the past, including the town of Paradise, California, which was destroyed by fire in 2018.

Its chairman at the time, Greg Bolin, hailed the judge's decision, saying it ensures communities "have a fighting chance" in the face of wildfires.

The Forest Service told NPR that this year, it phased out one type of Phos-Chek formula — Phos-Chek LC95 — in favor of another — MVP-Fx — saying the latter is less toxic to wildlife. .

The Forest Service also has a mandatory ban on dumping fire retardants in environmentally sensitive areas, such as waterways and endangered species habitats.

There are exceptions to the ban, however, in cases "when human life or public safety is threatened." /Telegraph/

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