Fires in Los Angeles: what is this fluorescent pink powder spilled on the city’s neighborhoods?

Los Angeles County, ravaged by more than a week of fires, was almost completely covered in fluorescent pink powder. Planes dropped thousands of cubic meters of the substance, covering houses and cars.

This is an agent called Phos-Chek, whose main function is to retard flames. The product has also been used by the Forest Service since the 1960s. Its bright color results from a mixture of ammonium phosphate and various active ingredients including iron oxide, specifies Actu.fr.

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Phos-Chek, “easier to see”

This material, which contrasts with the decor of grayish plumes and charred landscapes in which the city of Angels has been immersed for several days, allows pilots to ensure that they do not leave uncovered areas above the flames.

Usually, pilots have to drop water by spotting “the bright and the dark”, specifies Daniel McCurry, associate professor of civil and environmental engineering at the University of Southern California, quoted by our colleagues. An undertaking made more difficult than a landmark with more visual aid.

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Another benefit of its use: Phos-Chek makes the surface it covers “non-flammable”, according to its sales site Perimeter Solutions, slowing down and preventing the spread of fire.

A product that does not escape controversy

However, Phos-Chek has regularly been singled out for its negative effects on the environment. In 2022, the Forest Service Employees for Environmental Ethics, made up of current and former agents of the US Forest Service, accused the US federal forestry agency of using a chemical that was ineffective and harmful to fish. waters affected by the Canadairs.

The quality of water composed of flame retardant chemicals such as this obviously raises the question of its environmental impact, especially when it is discharged into forests. A year later, American justice ruled in favor of these employees without prohibiting its use, specifies the BBC.

The flames decimating the second city in the United States have left at least 24 dead. The damage is considerable: more than 12,000 homes, buildings and vehicles were charred. These fires could be the costliest ever recorded in the United States.