Authorities battling a series of large wildfires in the Los Angeles area have employed a bright red fire retardant to tamp the flames, leading to dramatic images of the material blanketing scores ...

Strong winds can make it too dangerous to fly at the low altitudes needed for drops and can dissipate the retardant before it hits the ground. Besides Cal Fire, multiple agencies have dropped fire ...

firefighting aircraft began drawing bright red lines with fire retardant across the Santa Monica Mountains, in an effort to slow and contain the flames. By the time the fire was out about three ...

Also, sign up for NPR's breaking news alerts. Air tankers are dropping thousands of gallons of red flame retardant in the hills around Los Angeles as firefighters attempt to limit the devastation ...

Fire retardants, on the other hand, contain fertilizer and other ingredients that don't evaporate once the water they're mixed with is gone, delaying a fire's spread for days, weeks or longer.

As the wildfires in Southern California continue to burn, streaks of bright pink fire retardant have become a familiar sight. Fanned by strong Santa Ana winds, the fires have killed at least 2 7 ...

Throughout the summer months, airtankers and fire-crews spray fire retardant across the territory for protection. It's a substance that makes fuel less flammable and slows a fire's progress.