Uncontrollable LA Wildfire... 'Last Resort' Using Seawater

Concerns Over Corrosion of Firefighting Equipment and Soil Degradation

As wildfires in Los Angeles (LA), USA, continue to rage uncontrollably, the Wall Street Journal (WSJ) reported on the 12th (local time) that even seawater, a last resort, is being used to fight the fires.

LA County fire authorities are drawing Pacific Ocean seawater to combat the fires in the Pacific Palisades area. To this end, they have deployed two Bombardier CL-415 "Super Scooper" firefighting aircraft. The Super Scooper is resistant to corrosion and can scoop up to 6,000 liters of water at once from the sea or lakes and spray it over the fire site. One of the aircraft ceased operation after colliding with a drone on the 9th, so only one is currently in operation.

Wildfire scene in Los Angeles, USA. Photo by AFP Yonhap News

When seawater is used as firefighting water, the extinguishing effect is basically no different from freshwater. However, it can corrode firefighting equipment such as hoses, pumps, and hydrants, and cause salinization, increasing the salt content in the soil. This negatively affects plant growth and reduces soil fertility. Therefore, when hydrants run dry during firefighting, swimming pool or lake water is generally used. Using seawater is rare.

According to LA County fire authorities, as of the 10th, 16 aircraft have been deployed to the fire sites in addition to the Super Scoopers. This includes U.S. Army Black Hawk helicopters that can carry and spray up to 3,800 liters of water at once. Firefighting aircraft have also been deployed to other wildfire areas, but the Super Scoopers carrying seawater have been assigned only to this region. LA County fire authorities stated that once the Palisades fire is under control, the Super Scoopers may be reassigned to other areas. The Palisades wildfire is the largest, showing about an 11% containment rate.

According to the Associated Press, as of the previous evening, 16 people have died and 16 are missing due to the fire. The number of buildings burned reaches 12,000.

The U.S. National Weather Service has issued a red alert for the fire situation until the 15th and forecasted gusts. Wind speeds are expected to reach 50 miles per hour (80 km/h), with gusts up to 70 miles per hour (113 km/h) in mountainous areas. Meteorologist Rich Thompson of the Weather Service said the 14th will be the most dangerous day, stating, "Very strong gusts will blow, and due to dry air and brush, very dangerous fire weather conditions will persist."

Currently, firefighters from California and nine other states are combating the fires, with 1,400 fire trucks, 84 aircraft, and 14,000 firefighters deployed.

According to weather data provider AccuWeather, losses from the LA wildfires are expected to reach $135 billion to $150 billion (approximately 199 trillion to 221 trillion KRW).