In a new report on wildfire activity, the United Nations says that the number of wildfires that take place around the world could double by the year 2100. Faced with this potential reality due to climate change and other contributing factors, the authors of the report advise countries to put more of their focus and investment on preventing fires from igniting, rather than waiting to suppress them after they start. (To view the complete report, click here.)
In the United States, governmental agencies and organizations in the private sector engaged in wildfire management are actively pursuing more proactive methods to help prevent wildfire ignitions to help protect lives and property. Ground-based application of phosphate-based long-term fire retardants is increasingly being included as part of these ongoing wildfire prevention and protection strategies.
Drivers for change
Aerial attack has proven to be very effective against preventing the spread of active wildfires since before PHOS-CHEK® long-term fire retardant started being used in 1963. Aerial attack does have certain limitations. When high winds accompany wildfires, pilot safety becomes a major concern. Aircraft may be grounded and unable to join the fight, while the winds carry embers from the active fire miles away, potentially leading to spot fires and more wildfire ignitions. Unfortunately, during these times and through the night, when long-term fire retardant can be the most effective, it can’t be applied by air.
It is also difficult for aircraft to support wildland firefighting efforts when there is smoke inversion. This usually takes place at night or during early morning hours when a wildfire is raging. Warm air from the fire rises, capping cold air, which traps smoke closer to the ground, resulting in dangerously low visibility for pilots and grounded aircraft.
Very Large Airtankers (VLATs) also have to stop providing support to on-the-ground firefighters at sunset. This is again due to visibility concerns flying through fire and smoke at night, as well as limited maneuverability among VLATs. Innovative fire agencies are working to get around this limitation. In 2021, the Orange County Fire Authority, in conjunction with LA County Fire, Ventura County Fire and Southern California Edison launched the Quick Reaction Force (QRF). The Air Task Force is set up to attack wildfires at night, using fixed-tank helicopters equipped with PHOS-CHEK 259-Fx, an ultra-high visibility fire retardant that is the only fire retardant approved for use in fixed-tank helicopters. The QRF had an active first year of operations, supporting 50 separate fire incidents1, and is expected to rapidly grow in use by the USDA Forest Service and CAL FIRE. Ground-based application of federally approved phosphate-based fire retardants is another effective option being considered.
The Case for Ground-Based LTR Application
Considering the challenges listed in the section above, the first advantage of incorporating ground-based application into active wildfire protection is that it can be applied by firefighters 24 hours a day. Every municipal fire department that deals with wildfires should carry long-term fire retardant in a concentrated form – it provides them with all the advantages of aerial firefighting without the need to wait for an airtanker to supply it. Having concentrate on hand, along with water tenders and standard spray equipment, firefighters have everything they need to start applying phosphate-based retardant on vegetation and other cellulosic surfaces within minutes of a fire ignition.
Being applied by firefighters on the ground, or in trucks equipped with approved spray nozzles,