The fire suppressants are generally considered safe for people, but many worry about their potential effects on wildlife. Pink flame retardant is seen on a car in the Mandeville Canyon ...

Besides Cal Fire, multiple agencies have dropped fire retardant and water, including the U.S. Forest Service, the LA and Ventura county fire departments, the city and the National Guard.

As the wildfires in Southern California continue to burn, streaks of bright pink fire retardant have become a familiar sight. Fanned by strong Santa Ana winds, the fires have killed at least 2 7 ...

Aerial fire suppressants are generally a mixture of water, ammonium phosphate — essentially fertilizer — and iron oxide, which is added to make the retardant visible, said Daniel McCurry, a ...

A USDA plane strafes the Cedar Fire near Oracle, Arizona, on May 20, 2025, dropping fire retardant primarily made of water, fertilizer and iron oxide.

Aerial fire suppressants are generally a mixture of water, ammonium phosphate — essentially fertilizer — and iron oxide, which is added to make the retardant visible, said Daniel McCurry, a ...

Last year, McCurry and his colleagues published a study suggesting some fire suppression products, including Phos-Chek, can contain toxic heavy metals such as cadmium and chromium. The Forest Service ...

Aerial fire suppressants are generally a mixture of water, ammonium phosphate — essentially fertilizer — and iron oxide, which is added to make the retardant visible, said Daniel McCurry, a ...

Aerial fire suppressants are generally a mixture of water, ammonium phosphate — essentially fertilizer — and iron oxide, which is added to make the retardant visible, said Daniel McCurry, a ...

Aerial fire suppressants are generally a mixture of water, ammonium phosphate — essentially fertilizer — and iron oxide, which is added to make the retardant visible, said Daniel McCurry, a ...

Aerial fire suppressants are generally a mixture of water, ammonium phosphate — essentially fertilizer — and iron oxide, which is added to make the retardant visible, said Daniel McCurry, a ...