REUTERS Pink fire retardant covering a car in the Mandeville Canyon neighborhood of Los Angeles on Jan. 11, 2025. Photo by AGUSTIN PAULLIER/AFP via Getty Images ...

Well, as it turns out, not really. Phos-Chek, the pink fire retardant that firefighters are dropping on LA County, is actually reasonably safe for cars.

Parts of Southern California are covered with pink fire retardant as firefighters try to control deadly wildfires raging in Los Angeles. But what is Phos-Chek fire retardant and is it safe?

Wedged among the courthouses, Los Angeles City Hall and the city’s downtown performing arts halls, the 12-acre park is dotted with dozens of magenta benches, as well as complementing pink cafe ...