Why Los Angeles Can't Use Seawater to Put Out Wildfires

(CLO) Currently, the Los Angeles fire department is having great difficulty controlling the fires that are threatening the city, the main cause of which is the problem of water supply.

While seawater can help put out fires, it is also harmful to equipment and the environment.

Canadian aircraft help extinguish fires in California. Photo: X/Xthenewmedia

Wildfires are raging in Los Angeles. So far, five people have died and more than 1,000 structures have been destroyed since the fires began. Governor Gavin Newsom said they have “exhausted every resource” and that fire hydrants have run out of water.

“Those hydrants are only enough for two or three fires, or just one big fire. But now the situation is way beyond normal scale,” he said.

Satellite imagery shows the fires are just miles from Los Angeles’ Pacific coast. So why are firefighters running out of water when there’s a vast ocean nearby?

In theory, seawater can be used to put out fires. However, the salt content of seawater can do more harm than good, forcing firefighters to use it only as a last resort.

Salt is highly corrosive and can damage metal equipment, including water-dropping aircraft and fire pumps. Salt also reduces the cooling efficiency of water, making seawater less effective than freshwater in firefighting, according to Technology.org.

In addition, seawater conducts electricity better than fresh water, increasing the risk of fire safety for firefighters when in direct contact.

The use of seawater also poses major environmental concerns. When seawater is dumped on fires in large quantities, the salt will seep into the soil or be washed into nearby waterways.

Increased soil salinity makes it difficult for plants to absorb water and nutrients through osmosis. Salt can also make soil toxic, hindering the growth of young plants and reducing the ability of the soil to absorb water and nutrients.

In densely forested areas, introducing large amounts of salt into the environment would cause serious ecological damage. While seawater is not the optimal choice, firefighters can use it selectively in emergencies.

Cao Phong (according to Euronews, Independent)

Source: https://www.congluan.vn/ly-do-los-angeles-khong-su-dung-nuoc-bien-dap-tat-chay-rung-post329819.html