Boron-Based Flame Retardants: Enabling Everyday Safety

On November 6, 1961, one of the most costly and destructive residential fires in California history ignited. Especially dry conditions and strong Santa Ana winds (blowing up to 50 miles per hour) accelerated the fire’s spread. Called the “Bel Air Fire,” this nightmare ripped through one of the most high-profile neighborhoods in the country, home to several famous actors and even then Vice President Richard Nixon. In total, the fire destroyed 484 homes and burned more than 6,000 acres. U.S. Borax played an instrumental role in stopping the fire by supplying powdered borate ore to firefighting crews for a flame-retardant mixture. The crews added water to the borate, then loaded it onto repurposed B-17 bombers. Nicknamed “Borate Bombers,” pilots flew these planes over the fire and dropped the compound to curb its spread. Firefighters eventually controlled the flames and extinguished the fire two days later. Photo by Grey Villet Afterwards, the city of Los Angeles enacted several law ... Read full article.