What Is Phos-Chek? Pink Powder Being Used To Combat Los Angeles Wildfire

<p>Los Angeles is witnessing fast-moving and destructive wildfire, which has led to the deaths of at least 24 people, destroyed more than 12,000 structures and scorched an area of more than 60 square miles.</p>
<p>The fire burning in and around Los Angeles have claimed the homes of numerous Hollywood celebrities, including Billy Crystal, Jeff Bridges, and R&amp;B star Jhene Aiko, according to a report in The Associated Press.</p>
<p>Amid the wildfire, that has been raging for around a week, visuals have emerged on social media of air-tankers showering red and pink powders over neighbourhoods.</p>
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<p>The pink substance, which is being dropped over the wildfires, is known as Phos-Check.</p>
<h3>What is Phos-Check?</h3>
<p>Phos-Check is a brand of long-term fire retardant that has been used to fight fires since the 1960s in the US. It is the most widely used by the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection and the world&rsquo;s most-utilized fire retardant.&nbsp;</p>
<blockquote class=”twitter-tweet” data-media-max-width=”560″>
<p dir=”ltr” lang=”tr”>ABD, Los Angeles’taki yangınlar sırasında u&ccedil;aklardan p&uuml;sk&uuml;rt&uuml;len pembe toz, Phos-Chek olarak biliniyor.<br /><br />Bu malzeme, &ouml;zellikle orman yangınlarında alevlerin yayılmasını &ouml;nlemek amacıyla kullanılıyor. <a href=”https://t.co/OLAo9I0nhS”>pic.twitter.com/OLAo9I0nhS</a></p>
&mdash; GazeteVar (@gazetevar) <a href=”https://twitter.com/gazetevar/status/1878897453421994034?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw”>January 13, 2025</a></blockquote>
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<p>This fire retardant substance is marketed by a company named Perimeter and consists of roughly 85 per cent water, 10 per cent fertilizer and 5 per cent minor ingredients, according to the USDA. Other components of fire retardant mixed in the substance include- phosphate and sulfate salts mixed with clay to thicken the product.&nbsp;</p>
<p>Thousands of gallons of fire retardant powder is showered over wildfires through aeroplanes to stop the blaze.</p>
<p>The method of containing the Inferno has been widely being shared on social media, where clouds of red and pink powder could be seen in the fire-fighting effort in California.</p>
<h3>How Does Phos-Check Work?</h3>
<p>The retardant works by cooling and coating fuels, depleting oxygen from the fire, and changing the nature of how materials burn through the action of its inorganic salts, according to the US Forest Service.</p>
<p>Phos-Check owes its pink colour to colorants that are mixed into the fire retardant to make it visible. However, exposure to sunlight darkens it down to an earthy colour allowing pilots and ground crews to target the drop line.</p>
<p>In 2022, a group of employees of the United States Forest Service-filed a complaint claiming that aerially deployed fire retardant violates clean water laws.&nbsp;</p>
<p>According to this group, the chemical contaminates waterways, harms fish, and is ineffectual at times.</p>
<p>However, Fire Retardants such as Phos-Chek remain indispensable in the management of wildfires. These chemicals create a barrier that slows the flames, giving firefighters valuable time to protect lives, homes, and ecosystems.</p>