Temporary coating may help protect homes from wildfires
Wednesday, September 4, 2013 - 08:30
in Earth & Climate
When a forest or brushland wildfire threatens to engulf nearby neighborhoods, some homeowners might opt to quickly spray the entire exterior of their house with a temporary fire-retardant coating. Now, a team of Agricultural Research Service scientists in California—one of America's most wildfire-prone states—has shown that an experimental fire-retardant gel made of sodium bentonite clay, cornstarch, and water may offer better, more affordable protection than gels made from other compounds.