When wildfires ignite, a SoCal Phos-Chek company is ready to fight back

SAN BERNARDINO, Calif. (KABC) -- At the height of wildfire season, timing is everything, and a SoCal Phos-Chek company is ready to fight back against the flames.

In Southern California, wildfire season generally starts in June and runs through October. However, wildfires can occur at any time of the year and as we've seen with the Palisades and Eaton fire, we're experiencing longer wildfire seasons.

The Phos-Chek at the San Bernardino Airtanker base plays a key role in getting wildfires under control.

"We come in the morning and open up the tanks, get a pump ready to go. If they say, 'Go load a tanker,' my folks throw on a vest, I flip the switch, turn the pump on and we load it in about three minutes," said San Bernardino Retardant Plant Base Manager Kenneth Duvall.

Phos-Chek starts its journey as a raw material, eventually turning into a powder tested through rigorous standards set by the U.S. Forest Service. It ends up at the airtanker base where it's mixed into a liquid and pumped directly into tankers.

Perimeter Solutions, the sole provider of Phos-Chek around the world, can fill a C-130 air tanker with 4,000 gallons in just 6-7 minutes. They can load up to seven air tankers at once, but during wildfire season, they face challenges of their own.

"I may have 10 or 15 people out here working on this ramp and it's 120 degrees. That's one of the hardest things... and they have to do that usually from sunup to sundown," Duvall said.

Behind the scenes, quality is everything. They run tests for density, viscosity and salt content.

At the airtanker site, samples are tested weekly. The formulation of Phos-Chek has also evolved.

"We're constantly in development making it safer for the people who use it and more environmentally friendly. That's our main focus." Duvall said.

And that pink color? It's not just for show. It helps both pilots and firefighters on the ground see exactly where the line is drawn. If it gets on your house, car, or even yourself, don't panic. It's safe, but wash it off immediately because it will stain.

"Phos-chek is 100% water soluble so the best approach is to get to it ASAP we don't want you going into the fire, use lots of water, don't use high pressure like sprayers or pressure washers, just garden hose pressure water and lots of it. The secret is do it several times and give it a rest, wet it down real good, let it rest for 5-10 minutes then come back and do it again. It might take 3 or 4 times but that's the secret to it." Perimeter Chemist, George Matousek said.

While fire crews battle flames on the ground, Perimeter is already preparing for the next wave of wildfires. From heat, to high stakes, these crews work around the clock so that when wildfires ignite, the fight can begin within minutes.