A car is covered in pink phos-chek. Los Angeles, California, USA Photo: Reuters
The city of Los Angeles, California, USA, is burning in a wildfire. Firefighters are having a busy time. Even though it has been almost a week, there are no signs of slowing down the fire. In the meantime, houses, roads and cars in the city are covered in red-pink powder.
What is this powder? And how can it be used to control fires?
It is known that this type of powder is fire retardant. This colorful powder has been sprayed from the sky over a large area to prevent the spread of fires. Officials say that thousands of gallons of red-pink powder were sprayed from airplanes in Los Angeles last week.
The substance is called phos-chek. A company called Perimeter sells it. Fos-chek has been used in the United States to control fires since 1963. The California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection has also been using it as a primary firefighting agent for a long time. The news agency AP reported in a 2022 report that this phos-chek is one of the most widely used firefighting agents in the world.
Several photos circulating on social media showed a layer of pink powder on cars and roads. Perimeter has provided residents with instructions on how to clean the powder.
The company said that the more the powder dries, the more difficult it can be to completely clean it. It can be removed from small areas using warm water and a little detergent. And if the surface is large, it will have to be cleaned using high-pressure water.
Houses are still burning, the army may be brought under control
Talking about the use of phos-chek paint, Perimeter said that its red-pink color is visible to both pilots and firefighters. They can easily see it. It is used to prevent the spread of fire in areas where there is a risk of fire.
Fos-Chek is being sprayed from an airplane to prevent the spread of fire. Los Angeles, California, United States
Fos-Chek is being sprayed from an airplane to prevent the spread of fire. Los Angeles, California, United StatesPhoto: Reuters
However, the use of Fos-Chek is controversial. According to critics, it is harmful to the environment. The chemicals it contains are not effective. It kills fish in water bodies
