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Why is LA turning pink after wildfires? Colorful powder on cars and trees explained

Thousands of gallons of the pink fire retardant have been dropped in the Los Angeles area

Christopher Weber,Julie Watson,John Seewer
Tuesday 14 January 2025 12:31 GMT
A car covered by the pink fire retardant in the Mandeville Canyon, a neighborhood of Los Angeles
A car covered by the pink fire retardant in the Mandeville Canyon, a neighborhood of Los Angeles (REUTERS)

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Crews fighting devastating wildfires in California have been dousing homes and hillsides with bright pink fire-retardant chemicals.

The eye-catching powder can now be seen blanketing cars, trees and driveways across the area.

The flame retardant is a product called Phos-Chek - sold by a company called Perimeter - and has been used to fight blazes in the US since 1963. It is reportedly the most-used fire retardant in the world.

Perimeter has previously advised using warm water and mild detergent to remove the retardant from small surfaces - and as quickly as possible.

For larger surfaces, pressure washers can be used.

An aircraft drops water retardant to contain the Palisades Fire,
An aircraft drops water retardant to contain the Palisades Fire, (REUTERS)

It comes as additional water tankers and scores of firefighters arrived at the Los Angeles area on Monday ahead of fierce winds that were forecast to return and threaten the progress made so far on two massive infernos that have destroyed thousands of homes and killed at least 24 people.

Dozens of water trucks rolled in to replenish supplies after hydrants ran dry last week when the two largest fires erupted.

Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass and other officials — who have faced criticism over their initial response to fires that began last week — expressed confidence Monday that the region was ready to face the new threat with additional firefighters brought in from around the US, as well as Canada and Mexico.

“We’re absolutely better prepared,” LA County Fire Chief Anthony Marrone said when asked what will be different from a week ago, when hurricane-force winds propelled multiple fires across the parched, brush-filled region that hasn’t seen rain in more than eight months.

The winds are predicted to pick up late Monday into early Tuesday, but they are not expected to reach hurricane-force like last week. However, they could ground firefighting aircraft, Marrone said, warning if winds reach 70 mph (112 kph), “it’s going to be very difficult to contain that fire."

Fire retardant covers a car and sidewalk in the Mandeville Canyon neighborhood of Los Angeles
Fire retardant covers a car and sidewalk in the Mandeville Canyon neighborhood of Los Angeles (AFP via Getty Images)

Fire officials advised residents in high-risk areas to just leave home – and not wait for formal evacuation orders -- if they sense danger.

That’s exactly what Tim Kang of La Crescenta did last Wednesday. Feeling sick from the smoky air and fearful of nearby fires spreading, Kang and his brothers packed up and have stayed away from their neighborhood.

“Everything just felt like, ‘Oh man, the world’s ending,’” said Kang, who's staying with his girlfriend in Pasadena.

In less than a week, four fires around the nation’s second-biggest city have scorched more than 62 square miles (160 square kilometers), roughly three times the size of Manhattan.

The National Weather Service warned the weather will be “particularly dangerous” on Tuesday, when wind gusts could reach 65 mph (105 kph). A large part of Southern California around Los Angeles is under this extreme fire danger warning through Wednesday, including densely populated Thousand Oaks, Northridge and Simi Valley.

Fire retardant covers a pool and lounge chairs after being dropped from an aircraft battling the Palisades Fire
Fire retardant covers a pool and lounge chairs after being dropped from an aircraft battling the Palisades Fire (Getty Images)

The Eaton Fire near Pasadena is roughly one-third contained, while the largest blaze in Pacific Palisades on the coast is far less contained.

The death toll is likely to rise, Los Angeles County Sheriff Robert Luna said Monday. At least two dozen were missing, he said.

Luna said he understands that people are eager to return to their homes and neighborhoods to survey the damage, but he asked for their patience. "We have people literally looking for the remains of your neighbors,” he said.

At a Monday evening community meeting about the Palisades Fire, a Los Angeles Police Department official said many people reported as missing had been found. It wasn’t clear if there was overlap in the numbers shared by the sheriff.

The slower winds over the weekend allowed some people to return to previously evacuated areas. Many had no idea if their homes or neighborhoods were still standing.

Jim Orlandini, who lost his hardware store in Altadena, a hard-hit neighborhood next to Pasadena, said his home of 40 years survived.

“The whole time I was thinking, I don’t know what I’m going to find when I get back here and after 40 years, you know, you got a lot of stuff you forget about that would disappear if the house burned down. So we’re thankful that it didn’t.”

LA city Fire Chief Kristin Crowley urged people to stay away from burned neighborhoods filled with broken gas lines and unstable buildings.

Just under 100,000 in Los Angeles County remained under evacuation orders, half the number from last week.

Fighting flames on multiple fronts

Firefighters over the weekend fought flames in Mandeville Canyon — home to Arnold Schwarzenegger and other celebrities — after the Palisades Fire spread, prompting new evacuation orders. Crews continued battling there Monday before potentially strong winds could push the flames toward the famous J. Paul Getty Museum and the University of California, Los Angeles.

Beyoncé, Disney and other celebrities and entertainment organizations have pledged millions to help those who have been displaced or lost their homes. Other stars — and ordinary people — have left large donations of clothing and other items along street corners in around the city.

Investigating looting, fundraising scams

Dozens of people have been arrested for looting after the wildfires. Officials are now starting to see price gouging and scams, including with hotels and short-term rentals and medical supplies, said Los Angeles County District Attorney Nathan Hochman.

The fires that began Tuesday north of downtown LA have burned more than 12,000 homes, cars and other structures.

Authorities haven’t determined an official cause for any of the fires. Southern California Edison has acknowledged agencies are investigating whether its equipment may have started a smaller blaze.

A lawsuit filed Monday claims the utility's equipment sparked the much bigger Eaton Fire. Edison did not respond to a request for comment and last week said it had not received any suggestions that its equipment ignited that blaze.

AccuWeather’s early estimates suggest the fires could be the nation’s costliest ever, topping $250 billion including what’s to come in the next days. The reconstruction cost for commercial and residential properties inside areas with active fires could be $14.8 billion, according to real estate data tracker CoreLogic.

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