The bright pink chemical is a key tool for wildland firefighting, but some worry the environmental harms outweigh its utility.
f you live in California, chances are you're familiar with Phos-Chek — that neon pink substance that's dropped out of a helicopter or plane and used to help slow the spread of wildfire. While images like these have become synonymous with wildland firefighting in California, pending legal action could change wildland firefighters' ability to use chemical fire retardants to fight wildfires.
Last October, the Forest Service Employees for Environmental Ethics filed suit in Montana against the U.S. Forest Service, arguing that the agency's use of aerial fire retardant, which contains inorganic fertilizers, was harming ecosystems and violating the Clean Water Act. The U.S. Forest Service mostly uses ammonium phosphate-based retardant, which is designed to reduce the speed and intensity with which the flames spread, making the fires more tractable for crews on the ground.
TOPSHOT - Residents watch as a plane drops fire retardant over homes in Hemet, California on September 6, 2022. - At least two people are dead and thousands have been ordered to flee the rapidly spreading Fairview Fire in California, with the region's oppressive heatwave expected to peak Tuesday.
“It's not effective,” Ingalsbee says. “It's an iconic image of firefighting, makes great film, but it's not necessarily a critical tool being used.”
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