The Basics on the Red Fire Retardant, “Slurry”

• Main ingredients:  85% water, 10% fertilizer (ammonia phosphate and sulfate ions), and 5% minor ingredients (iron oxide for color, clay or bentonite).
• How it works:  Works by coating fuels with moisture
• How it is applied:  Aerial application, dropped by aircraft.
• Good News:  It is non-toxic to humans.
• Bad News:  It may stain so should be washed off structures to prevent darkening of color.  May be harmful to pets if swallowed (fertilizer poisoning).
• Why is it red?  Visibility!  Easy to see from the air and ground.
  
  

The Basics on Fire Barricade, “Green Slime”

• Main ingredients:  Liquid concentrate of super absorbent polymers.  Designed to be used in a diluted form.  Mixing with water creates tiny “bubblets” of water surrounded by a polymer shell.
• How it works:  Sticks to both vertical and horizontal surfaces for long periods of time, “glues water to the sides of houses”.
• How it is applied:  Ground application.  Can be applied with a standard foam educator, garden hose with specially purchased attachment, or purchased Atak Pak or Quik Atak systems.
• Good News:  It is non-toxic.  It is biodegradable in the sun.  It can be removed from structures with a high pressure nozzle, or pressure washer if dried.
• Bad News:  Can irritate eyes or skin.  Can be slippery when applied to a hard surface like concrete.