Using saltwater to put out wildfires is effective

The death toll is on the rise due to the destructive wildfires in Southern California that have resulted in the loss of more than 10,000 homes and the mandatory evacuation of hundreds of thousands of individuals. Notable fires in the area include the Palisades Fire, which has ravaged about 20,000 acres, and the Eaton Fire, covering close to 14,000 acres. At present, neither of these fires has been brought under control.

One of the primary hurdles in dealing with these fires is the diminishing water supply. The Palisades Fire, in particular, is situated along the California coastline, leading to queries about why firefighters are not utilizing the Pacific Ocean to help douse the flames.

One viral X post with 29 million views asks, “Is there any particular reason why we can’t use ocean water to help put out the fires?” A VERIFY reader also texted us to ask if ocean water can be used to put out fires.

Can ocean water be used to fight wildfires?

Yes, ocean water can be used to extinguish wildfires, but there are logistical challenges with using saltwater to battle fires. 

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Los Angeles firefighters are using specialized water-bombing planes out of Canada to pull water from the Pacific Ocean to help combat the fires currently burning. However, saltwater can be less effective, can corrode equipment and damage the soil where it’s used.

Susan McKelvey, a spokesperson for the National Fire Protection Association, told VERIFY departments that have access to ocean water do use it when extinguishing fires, but on a limited basis due to corrosion. Mónica Muñoz, spokesperson for the San Diego Fire Department, cited corrosion as a reason why they don’t commonly use ocean water.

“It’s not our standard practice to draw from the ocean or bay because of the extreme corrosiveness of salt water. Only in the most extreme circumstances… to protect life, would we draw from a bay or ocean. The water causes damage to our apparatus and helicopter pump systems,” Muñoz told VERIFY.

McKelvey said typically if equipment is used to transport saltwater, it’s flushed with fresh water afterward in order to preserve the quality of the materials. 

Environmental harm is another factor to consider when using saltwater, Technology.org explains. According to a 2015 study on saltwater’s effect on soil when used in fire suppression, soil properties are already altered during and after a wildfire. Seawater adds salts to the soil, further altering its chemical composition. 

The combined impact of the wildfire and the salt from the seawater influences soil health, vegetation recovery and can have long-term effects on the local ecosystem.

Saltwater is also less effective in putting out fires in certain scenarios. Technology.org notes “the presence of salt can reduce the cooling effect of water, making it less efficient at lowering the temperature of the fire.”

Logistical challenges also complicate the use of ocean water. In 2016, Larry Kurtz, captain with the Orange County Fire Authority, described those difficulties to The Orange County Register. 

“If we used seawater for all inland fires, we would have to draw it out of the ocean, transport it by truck to a location, dump it into some kind of portable holding pool, and then draw it into our pumps for use on the fire … As for using seawater for firefighting helicopters or ‘super scooper’ fixed-wing aircraft, the problem is safety,” Kurtz told the newspaper.

He continued, “Our helicopters hover approximately three, four feet above the water’s surface to use its suction hose to draw up water. I’m sure you could imagine what could happen if an extra-large swell or rough wave suddenly struck the side of the aircraft. The lakes and reservoirs are much safer (and for most brush fires, a lot closer) than our Pacific Ocean.”

This story is also available in Spanish / Lee este artículo también en español: Sí, el agua salada puede usarse para extinguir incendios forestales