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As wildfires continue to rage across Southern California, authorities are deploying pink fire retardant from aircraft to help combat the blazes. Despite its widespread use, concerns over its effectiveness and environmental risks have surfaced in recent years.

What is Pink Fire Retardant?

• Fire retardant is a chemical mixture designed to slow down or extinguish wildfires. The most commonly used product in the U.S. is Phos-Chek, a brand of retardant.
• Phos-Chek primarily contains ammonium phosphate-based slurry (salts like ammonium polyphosphate), which helps the retardant stay longer and resist evaporation, unlike water.

Purpose and Visibility

• Fire retardants are sprayed ahead of fires to coat vegetation, reducing oxygen and preventing flames from spreading.
• Color is added to the fire retardant, often bright pink, to improve visibility. This ensures firefighters can track its spread and create effective fire lines, helping protect lives and property.

Manufacturer

• Perimeter Solutions manufactures Phos-Chek, which is used for aerial fire suppression efforts.

Effectiveness of Pink Fire Retardant

Limited Effectiveness

• The use of fire retardants like Phos-Chek is not always effective across different wildfire conditions.
  • Aerial retardants depend on environmental conditions like terrain, slope, and weather for optimal effectiveness.
  • Researchers, including Forest Service scientists, suggest that retardant effectiveness is more limited under changing climate conditions.
  • Climate change is narrowing the window of opportunity for using aerial retardants, reducing their impact.

Uncertainty in Impact

• The effectiveness of fire retardants is hard to quantify. Multiple firefighting methods are used simultaneously, making it difficult to attribute wildfire suppression success solely to the retardant.

Environmental Concerns of Pink Fire Retardant

Toxicity and Pollution

• Phos-Chek contains toxic metals such as chromium and cadmium, both of which are harmful to humans and the environment.
  • Chromium and cadmium are linked to serious health issues, including cancer and liver/kidney diseases.
  • Aquatic life is particularly vulnerable to these toxins, as the chemicals can enter waterways, causing extensive damage to ecosystems.

Impact on Rivers and Streams

• The use of pink fire retardant has raised concerns regarding the contamination of rivers and streams.
  • A study by the University of Southern California (USC) in 2024 estimated that 850,000 pounds of toxic chemicals have been released into the environment since 2009 due to fire retardant use.

Growing Use and Pollution

• From 2009 to 2021, over 440 million gallons of retardant were applied across U.S. lands.
  • During this period, an estimated 400 tons of heavy metals were introduced into the environment, further exacerbating the pollution levels.

Financial and Practical Concerns

High Cost and Inefficiency

• The cost of deploying fire retardant is significant. Aerial firefighting operations require substantial resources, including planes, helicopters, and large quantities of retardant.
• Environmental experts argue that using fire retardant from planes is ineffective and expensive, especially in light of the growing environmental concerns.