Pink Flame Retardants Are Being Used to Slow California Fires; What Do We Know About Them?

Pink Flame Retardants Are Being Used to Slow California Fires; What Do We Know About Them?
Fire retardant is dropped by an air tanker on the Palisades Fire in the outskirts of the Pacific Palisades neighborhood of Los Angeles on Jan. 10, 2025. Eric Thayer/AP Photo
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Aircraft battling fires raging through the Los Angeles area are dropping more than water: Hundreds of thousands of gallons of hot-pink fire suppressant ahead of the flames in a desperate effort to stop them before they destroy more neighborhoods.

The fires have killed at least 24 people, displaced thousands, and destroyed more than 12,000 structures since they began last Tuesday. Four fires driven by strong Santa Ana winds have charred about 62 square miles, according to Cal Fire.