PACIFIC PALISADES - With the Palisades and Eaton Fires now under containment, one tool used to fight the flames will remain in the headlines: fire retardant. Questions about its use and environmental ...

Perimeter, the company that supplies fire retardant to the Forest Service and other agencies, says the phosphate changes the way cellulose in plants decomposes and makes them non-flammable. The fire ...

The heat from the fire activates the retardant's components, preventing plant cellulose from fueling the flames, releasing water vapor, and cooling the fire. The process leaves a layer of black ...

Perimeter, the company that supplies fire retardant to the Forest Service and other agencies, says the phosphate changes the way cellulose in plants decomposes and makes them non-flammable.