Fire retardant could be 'game-changer' in fighting wildfires

BOISE, Idaho (AP) — U.S. officials on Tuesday approved a long-lasting fire retardant that could significantly aid in fighting increasingly destructive wildfires by stopping them before they ever start.

The U.S. Forest Service approved Perimeter Solutions’ fire retardant that is intended to be used as a preventative measure and can last for months.

It’s similar to the company’s red-dyed retardant dropped from aircraft while fighting active wildfires, but it’s clear and sprayed by ground-based workers and equipment.

“The real game-changer here is once you treat it, you can forget it,” said Edward Goldberg, chief executive officer of St. Louis, Missouri-based Perimeter Solutions. “It’s there for the whole year.”

The company said its primary use will be by industrial customers such as utility companies and railroads, but it can also be used to protect residential and commercial properties. It’s intended to be sprayed on vegetation, not homes themselves, but can be sprayed on such things as wood fences.

The company’s existing retardant is also used for that purpose, but can be problematic because it’s only effective until rain washes it away. Goldberg said the new product will remain effective even after a couple inches of rain, making the one-and-done application less expensive.

Cost, Goldberg said, depends on the topography and ranges from $7,000 to $15,000 per mile (1.6 kilometers) covering a 20-foot (6-meter) -wide strip.

Goldberg said the product will likely be most effective in the drier climate of the U.S. West, and could be applied in the spring to offer fire protection throughout the wildfire season. In July, it was applied to the grounds at former President Ronald Reagan’s coastal mountain ranch in the Santa Ynez mountains in California near Santa Barbara.

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