‘That’s where the magic is, in fire retardant:’ How it’s helped protect firefighters and communities during record fire season

(Update: Adding video, comments by retardant provider)

REDMOND, Ore. (KTVZ) -- With multiple fires still burning across Oregon, such as the Bachelor Complex, Wiley Flat and Flat Top blazes, NewsChannel 21 deep-dives into how fire retardant used in aerial firefighting complements efforts on the ground to stop and contain blazes.

"That is the first time in history that the Pacific Northwest has seen that much land burned through wildfires," said Jeff Emery, the president of global fire safety at Perimeter Solutions, which specializes in providing fire retardant,

Emery says this has been one of the busiest summers for fire retardant production, serving 30 to 40 missions a day out of a single air base at times.

"Redmond, which is right around the corner from Bend, has been our busiest base in the country," emery said. "We've had to support more loads, more gallons of retardant out of Redmond than even the busiest bases in California over the course of this year. And it’s directly in response to the level of fire activity we’ve seen."

According to the U.S. Forest Service, the Redmond Air Center hit a record last week, having used over 2.5 million gallons of fire retardant this season. That's in comparison to 1.7 million gallons used in 2023.

"It can be deployed either out of the aircraft or on the ground is to create in an indirect line called indirect attack on that fire," Emery explained. "And the goal is to provide a boundary or a perimeter around that fire that allows the fire to first slow, allow the firefighters to bolster those lines by clearing vegetation and eventually stop the fire."

How it works is when it lands on vegetation, it creates a char that prevents it from burning.

"That's where the magic is in fire retardant," says Emery. "It's just a very, very diluted version of fertilizer that creates that chemical reaction that allows us to do that critical work of slowing down the fire."

Retardant is also used to strategically protect firefighters on the ground.

"We're in a business where failure is just not an option," Emery said. "They need to be first and foremost protective of their own safety. We give them that extra barrier to be able to do that job safely."

Not only is retardant used in combating active fires, but it's also starting to be used as a preventative measure, namely with roadside fires, evacuation routes and around communities.

But Emery noted: "The best way to stop a fire is to stop it from starting."

"That retardant is just as effective two months from now that it is the day you lay it down," he said. "And so it gives a reasonable opportunity to prevent starts from happening in the first place."

Perimeter Solutions serves 70 bases around the US, but also serves as needed throughout North America and the globe. Redmond is just one of eight bases that they directly support here in Oregon.