The bright pink powder coating rooftops, vehicles and roads has become a common sight in Los Angeles, where air tankers continue to drop the substance to fight raging wildfires. Officials confirmed that thousands of gallons of the powder have been used over the past week to prevent further spread of the blaze. But what exactly is this pink powder and how can it help suppress wildfires?
What is pink flame retardant?
The substance is Phos-Chek, a flame retardant that has been widely used throughout the United States since the 1960s. Manufactured by a company called Perimeter Solutions, it is the most used flame retardant in the world, the Associated Press reports.
Bright pink shades may seem strange, but they play an important role.
Red flame retardant can be seen on cars in the Mandeville Canyon area of Los Angeles.
Photo credit: AFP
A spokesperson for Perimeter told the BBC that the dye added to Phoscheck acts as a visual marker for pilots and firefighters, helping them see where the flame retardant has been deployed.
Exposure to sunlight for a few days will allow the color to fade and blend into natural earth tones.
How do fire retardants work?
The New York Times reports that rather than direct flames, Foscheck is sprayed before a fire, coating vegetation and other flammable surfaces.
This effectively forms a barrier that prevents oxygen from adding fuel to the fire and slows the spread of flames.
Photo credit: AFP
The core ingredients of retarders are salts such as ammonium polyphosphate.
Stanton Florea, a spokesman for the National Interagency Fire Center, told the New York Times that the flame retardant can withstand harsh conditions, lasts longer than water and “doesn’t evaporate like a drop of water.”
This material is especially useful in areas where it is difficult for ground crews to reach rugged terrain.
Phos-Chek is not without its limitations. Strong winds can make dropping from the air dangerous, and strong gusts can scatter the powder before it reaches the target, reducing its effectiveness.
Are there any risks associated with flame retardants?
The pink powder is a powerful tool in fighting wildfires, but environmental experts have raised concerns about its effects on ecosystems and human health. The NYT reports that new research suggests that chemicals in flame retardants, including heavy metals, pose a toxic threat to the environment.
Millions of gallons of the material are dropped each year, adding that it can harm wildlife, pollute waterways and pose a risk to human health.
Photo credit: AFP
Flame retardants are important for controlling deadly fires, but the increased frequency of wildfires related to climate change is increasing their use and introducing more chemicals into the environment.
A lawsuit filed in 2022 by the Forest Service Environmental Ethics Employees Group, a group of current and former U.S. Forest Service employees, alleges that air-dropping flame retardants violates the Clean Water Act. BBC reported.
A U.S. District Court judge acknowledged those concerns but allowed the Forest Service to continue using the flame retardant while it worked to obtain permits from the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).
In response to increased scrutiny, the Forest Service has phased out one formulation of Phoscheck in favor of a less toxic version. The agency is also enforcing restrictions on dropping flame retardants near sensitive environmental areas, such as waterways and endangered species habitat.
