Clayton, MO-based Perimeter Solutions to provide PHOS-CHEK® FORTIFY® long-term fire retardant as part of the County’s newly approved Road Plant Growth Management Program for Evacuation Readiness. These efforts are the result of a board letter launched in March 2021 by supervisors Anderson and Desmond.
“Keeping San Diego County residents safe from wildfires is one of my top priorities, and it’s critical that we take advantage of new technologies that help us be more proactive with our wildfire prevention efforts,” Supervisor Anderson shared. “I would like to thank County Fire staff, CAL-FIRE and Perimeter Solutions for their cooperation in applying this fire retardant along Wildcat Canyon Road – the connection between Lakeside and Barona that has a devastating history of wildfires.”
PHOS-CHEK FORTIFY is a soil-based, highly durable fire retardant that is applied to flammable vegetation and cellulosic material once early in the fire season before a veld fire approaches and provides continuous protection against veld fires, which remains effective until a significant rain event occurs. The USDA Forest Service has been using PHOS-CHEK long-term fire retardant for nearly 60 years to suppress and prevent the spread of active wildfires.
“We are proud that San Diego County has chosen Perimeter Solutions to work with them to save lives and protect property. We commend them for their initiative to develop a proactive strategy to prevent wildfires and believe that they have developed a model that can be adopted by communities across the Western United States and other areas affected by wildfires, ”says Wes Bolsen, Business Director of Wildfire Prevention and Protection at Perimeter Solutions.
San Diego County maintains nearly 2,000 miles of road, many of which serve as key passages for area evacuation and response to wildfires. As veldfire season increases in length and intensity, the risk of veldfires affecting the area continues to increase. In fact, data show that 79% of the unincorporated San Diego County falls into areas at high or very high risk of wildfires, and that wildfires have burned more than 40% of the unincorporated area since the year 2000.
