Fire retardant options grow as California wildfire season start and heatwave coincide
SACRAMENTO -- The heat is back in California and with it, the risk of wildfire has returned, too. A new tool to fight fires before they occur is available to homeowners. It's considered a fire retardant that is sprayed before a fire occurs.
It's called Phos-Chek Fortify, and is marketed to be sprayed ahead of fire season or even during an oncoming fire threat. The spray coats and stays in place, according to the manufacturer Perimeter Solutions, and provides protection until the first significant rain event.
Fire authorities in California believe it could be best used to treat high-risk fire areas, like near utility poles or along highways and roadways.
Unlike Phos-Chek, a pink goo fire retardant most commonly seen dropped overhead fires from tankers or helicopters, the Phos-Chek Fortify is a clear substance.
In a statement, Perimeter Solutions president of global fire safety Jeff Emery told CBS13:
We are very proud of the role PHOS-CHEK fire retardant has played for 60 years in protecting people, communities and the environment.
PHOS-CHEK fire retardant has been a vital tool supporting wildland firefighting efforts from the air. That same technology is also a ground-applied solution for local fire departments, utilities, railway companies, other businesses as well as homeowners to help them proactively treat vegetation and fuel sources in order to provide extended protection from wildfires.
The use of fire retardants has been under scrutiny after a federal lawsuit. The lawsuit, filed by Forest Service Employees for Environmental Ethics (FSEEE), is aimed at curbing the Forest Service's use of aerial fire retardants that are used in firefighting. The suit says that the federal agency pollutes waterways when the retardants are dumped from above national forests without permits, violating the Clean Water Law.
Ultimately, U.S. District Judge Dana Christensen ruled that the chemicals in the retardant violate the U.S. Clean Water Law, however, the Forest Service may continue to use the material in the process of obtaining a permit from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.