Why firefighters are using pink powder to put out LA wildfires
Topics: News
Ben Thompson
Featured Image Credit: Zhang Shuo/China News Service/VCG via Getty Images/Apu Gomes/Getty Images
Topics: News
As the fires in Los Angeles continue to cause devastation, efforts are being made to put out the blazes.
It's still unknown how the fires started, although a troubling theory has been put forward. 25 people have died and more than 12,000 buildings have been destroyed.
There are still four major fires burning. The largest, the Palisades fire, is just 18 percent contained.
Firefighters have been working desperately to fight the flames, which have destroyed more than 62 square miles of land.
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Of particular help during these efforts have been planes, which have been seen dropping gallons of water from the sky.
They've also been seen to drop a mysterious pink substance.
This has led to a lot of speculation about what the material is, and why it's being used.
It turns out that this Phos-Chek, the most used fire retardant in the world.
California, which is no strangers to wildfires, has been making use of it since 1963.
In the aftermath of its usage, homes and cars have been left with a pink coating.
Although there's no doubt about its effectiveness, it still begs the question - why use pink colouring?
Perimeter, the company who produce Phos-Chek, has said this is a visual aid for the pilots.
After all, if you're flying hundreds of feet off the ground, you're not going to have the clearest view of action on the ground.
And pink is the perfect colour to show up from a distance.
Other bright colours like orange or yellow could be muddle when it comes to fighting fires.
As reported by Metro, Phos-Chek is made up of colouring agents, salts, water and fire retardant.
Not only does it put out flames in the short term, but it also acts as a 'long-term' retardant, meaning it can prevent fires even after the water has dried up.
However, there is a slight downside to this - it can be a pain to clean off in the aftermath.
That's admittedly a small price to pay for having your home saved from being burnt down.
Perimeter wrote online: "The longer the retardant dries, the more difficult it is to remove completely."
It's recommended to make use of a power washer for bigger surfaces.
For smaller surfaces like a mailbox or a car, warm water and dish soap can get the job done.
The fires have been raging in LA for a week now, and many people have lost their homes.
Among those who have been impacted are some celebrities.
Mel Gibson was recording his appearance on The Joe Rogan Experience when his home burnt to the ground.
Speaking afterwards, the 68-year-old actor said: "I was doing the Rogan podcast… And [I was] kind of ill at ease while we were talking, because I knew my neighbourhood was on fire, so I thought, I wonder if my place is still there.
"When I got home, sure enough, it wasn’t there. I went home and I said to myself, well, at least I haven’t got any of those pesky plumbing problems anymore."