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Preventing Wildfire

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Wildfires can cause billions of dollars in damages and drain the U.S. Forest Service of financial resources that would otherwise be available for conservation investments. Many of the human-caused fires originate in the same hotspots such as mountain passes and highway sections. Unfortunately, there is no environmentally-safe prophylactic fire-retarding treatment available for use in fire prevention. However, Stanford researchers have developed an environmentally-benign cellulose-based hydrogel that can retain polyphosphate fire retardants on target fuels for up to several months following application with common spraying equipment. In collaboration with Cal Fire, the Desert Research Institute, and the U.S. Forest Service, project piloted, optimized and validated the technology, which they commercialized in 2019. The technology  is now marketed as Phos-Check Fortify.

Project: Biomimetic hydrogel-based fire retardants for prevention of wildfire
Funding Source: Realizing Environmental Innovation Program                      
Funding Year: 2018
Research Areas: Climate 
Regions: North America

Research Team:
Eric Appel (Materials Science and Engineering),  
Craig Criddle (Civil and Environmental Engineering)

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Wildfire Rx

LaderaTech, a venture co-founded by brothers-in-law Eric Appel and Jesse Acosta, is introducing a prophylactic for fires, a roadside treatment likened to a wildfire vaccine for the landscape.

TomKat Center

Scientists and engineers worked with state and local agencies to develop and test a long-lasting, environmentally benign fire-retarding material. If used on high-risk areas, the simple, affordable treatment could dramatically cut the number of fires that occur each year.

Stanford Woods Institute for the Environment

 

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