Firebreak™ Portable Protection System 

presents a highly effective and low cost version of the Firebreak Spray Systems structural protection system, which has been installed in hundreds of homes throughout the West. The new Wildfire Protection System allows homeowners to protect property preemptively by applying a colorless version of the fire retardant used in firefighting airtanker drops Phos-Chek™.

How Firebreak Brand Phos-Chek Works

The active fire retardant in Phos-Chek is a mixture of ammonium polyphosphate and clay. These fire retardants change the flammability of plants and other fuels by altering their route of decomposition when exposed to fire. Without Phos-Chek retardants, a fire spreads by preheating fuels as it advances, releasing combustible gases, which then ignite. With Phos-Chek retardant, the heating changes the fuels into carbon and releases water. The water boils off, absorbing heat and cooling the fire. The remaining graphite-like carbon is almost impossible to burn at ambient conditions but, rather, insulates subsurface fuels, depriving the fire of additional fuel.

Phos-Chek fire retardant does not depend on contained water for its effectiveness. It retains the retardant properties until it is washed, or rubbed off the fuel to which it has been applied.

Phos-Chek retardant is formulated for easy, safe mixing, storage and application. It contains corrosion inhibitors to minimize damage to aluminum, brass and steel. Small, carefully controlled amounts of a gum thickener are added to Phos-Chek retardant to give the right consistency for clinging to fuels.

Application of Firebreak Fire Retardant

Please wear safety glasses and waterproof gloves when working with fire retardant.

1. Be careful not to spray retardant on green growing foliage, as with any fertilizer the fire retardant salts may cause temporary leaf burn and drop. If sprayed on landscaping during an emergency, washing any treated foliage with water after the threat has passed will greatly reduce or eliminate this effect.

2. Your Firebreak Wildfire Protection System is equipped with a 50ft premium rubber hose fitted with garden hose connectors allowing you the option of adding additional lengths of garden hose to extend your distance covered.

Application Rate

Three (3) gallons of mixed retardant solution per 100 square feet is sufficient for most conditions. MIXING INSTRUCTIONS

Rule of thumb: One full tank of mixed retardant will treat an area 8ft wide and 100ft long at this application level.

The fire retardant may be applied at levels above the suggested application rate.
Applying below the suggested rate however may reduce the effectiveness of the treatment. When spraying make sure to coat all of the surface area of the leaves and branches, making sure foliage is thoroughly wet. This fire retardant remains effective after it is completely dry.

Begin spraying the retardant in areas beyond the reach of sprinkler systems. Rain above 1/4 inch sustained, and irrigation sprinklers will wash the fire retardant off the treated materials, thereby reducing the effectiveness of the treatment. Spray a continuous line (at least 4 feet wide) strip around areas you wish to protect. Be careful not to allow breaks in coverage as this may allow fire to pass through the firebreak. It may be advisable to create a secondary firebreak line to control potential spot fires beyond the first line.

Always reapply the retardant after it rains to remain protected.
The amount of Phos-Chek retardant solution, and the application parameters, should be selected for your home on the basis of fuel load, and terrain.

Phos-Chek retardant can be used for:
Did you know? Three hundred times more houses burn down during construction than at any other time in the life of a residential house. Contractors should consider treating combustible areas of construction sites to minimize the danger of fire starting from sparks, welding torches, cigarettes and other sources of ignition common to construction areas.

Phos-Chek retardant can be used for:
Reinforcing a conventional control line, preparing a control line without clearing to mineral soil, preventing spotting, controlling the rate and intensity of a burn and protecting fire-sensitive trees, structures and other objects inside the burn perimeter.

In general, the application instructions that follow apply to preparation of a control line, but suggestions are included for other applications.

Application rates and methods will vary according to such factors as:

• Fuel type, loading and moisture content
  
• Wind velocity and humidity
  
• Slope of area to be burned
  
• Purpose of retardant use
  

Most or all of the fuel that will burn rapidly should be coated with Phos-Chek retardant. This application will stop the fire if the retardant line is wide enough to prevent heat radiation or spotting across it. Line widths are determined by wind speed, direction and fuel height, with the head of the fire burning into the widest part of the line and the flanks protected by narrower lines.

Avoid leaving untreated fuel, which can allow the fire to escape. Make sure to apply retardant to sensitive areas such as large slash piles, downed logs, and areas of thick duff. While Phos-Chek retardants can be applied in advance of a burn, 1/4 inch of rain can wash it off. Be careful, therefore, not to apply the retardant when it is likely to rain.