As wildfires continue to rage across southern California, striking images have surfaced of air tankers dispersing vibrant pink-coloured powder over Los Angeles suburbs. 

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The brightly coloured substance has become a familiar sight in the area, blanketing driveways, rooftops, and vehicles as firefighters battle to contain the devastating blazes.

Authorities confirmed that thousands of gallons of the substance were dropped last week to contain the spread of the fire.

What exactly is the pink-coloured substance?

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The brightly coloured product is called Phos-Chek, a fire retardant, which is manufactured by the company Perimeter.

The flame retardant is widely used in the United States and across the globe to contain the spread of the fire.

The US has been using it since 1963, and it is the primary long-term fire retardant that the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection uses.

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It is also the most-used fire retardant in the world, according to a 2022 report in the Associated Press.

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The company launched an advisory saying that the areas should get rid of this substance as soon as it is safe to do so, or else it starts to dry and gets difficult to remove.

"The longer the retardant dries, the more difficult it is to remove completely," they cautioned.

Why the bright hue?

The company said that the bright hue acts as a visual aid for pilots and firefighters.

The flame retardant consists of 80 per cent water, 14 per cent fertiliser-type salts, 6 per cent colouring agents and corrosion inhibitors, as per the BBC report

The US Forest Service said that the retardant helps control the spread of the fire by cooling and coating fuels, depleting the fire of oxygen, and slowing the rate of fuel combustion.

(With inputs from agencies)