Can ocean water be used to fight wildfires?

Satellite imagery of a neighborhood in Altadena, California, shows how the recent wildfires have devoured numerous homes and businesses.

LOS ANGELES – A firestorm that engulfed parts of Southern California took place within sight of the Pacific Ocean, causing some to wonder whether seawater could be used to douse the flames.

Over a period of four days, six major wildfires erupted across Los Angeles County, fueled by dry conditions and gusty winds.

The fires destroyed more than 10,000 structures and claimed several lives, with authorities fearing the death toll will rise as search and recovery efforts continue.

Despite nearly 900 miles of coastline along the Pacific Ocean, firefighters have largely avoided using seawater for good reason, as the salt content can corrode equipment like pumps and other metal tools used in the firefight. 

Additionally, saltwater is widely considered to be a less effective cooling agent compared to freshwater, further hindering efforts if the water was used to try to control the flames.

Some planes and airdrops are specially designed to use seawater without significant repercussions on the equipment, but the combination of gusty winds and difficult terrain complicated efforts in fighting the series of blazes.

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Where seawater is used, there have been concerns about the long-term environmental impacts of salt on the terrain. 

According to various studies, saltwater is known to alter a soil’s composition, which can harm vegetation, leading to additional fuels for future fires.

So, while there is plenty of salt water around, the water source is often not the best to fight flames.

In some neighborhoods around Los Angeles, fire hydrants—designed to fight single house fires—were tapped to combat entire neighborhoods that were ablaze. 

These efforts led to low water pressure in some areas, depleting resources and leaving some firefighters without sufficient access to water.

Southern California Fire Map

(FOX Weather)

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Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass said an after-action review will examine the city’s response to the firestorm. 

The review will assess agency responses and identify areas for improvement in future disaster response.

Authorities have not yet determined the causes of the recent wildfires, but many are often linked to human activities. 

Investigators will likely focus on utility lines and other human-related factors as they work to determine the cause of the current blazes.