Authorities battling a series of large wildfires in the Los Angeles area have employed a bright red fire retardant to tamp the flames, leading to dramatic images of the material blanketing scores ...

Strong winds can make it too dangerous to fly at the low altitudes needed for drops and can dissipate the retardant before it hits the ground. Besides Cal Fire, multiple agencies have dropped fire ...

firefighting aircraft began drawing bright red lines with fire retardant across the Santa Monica Mountains, in an effort to slow and contain the flames. By the time the fire was out about three ...

As wildfires intensify, state and federal fire agencies are relying more on aerial fire retardant, sparking concerns over its ...

A new study by researchers at USC has found that a popular variety of fire retardant is laden with toxic metals Drawbacks aside, one fire chief said there’s no substitute for retardant when it ...

It's apparent that these red trails are used to stop the spread of wildfires, but what makes up fire retardant and why is it different than only using water to fight wildfires? A structure burns ...

LAist partnered with USC researchers to test samples of Phos-Chek, the fire retardant dropped on the Eaton and Palisades fires. The results came back positive for heavy metals including arsenic ...

Lithium has become a hotly coveted mineral, and not just due to its integral role in batteries powering gadgets of all sizes. Lithium is very much the future of mobility, thanks to the massive ...

While flames may be the most visual wildfire danger, experts say smoke and fire retardant slurry can have long-lasting effects on human health and the environment. New research has linked wildfire ...

From above the raging flames, firefighting planes can unleash immense tankfuls of bright pink fire retardant in just 20 seconds. They have long been considered vital in the battle against wildfires.