Why Firefighters Rarely Use Ocean Water To Battle Wildfires

With wildfires raging across Los Angeles, firefighters are having a terribly difficult time fighting the destruction. An extremely dry 2024, exacerbated by human-driven climate change, has complicated their efforts still further. However, with fresh water in short supply, we must ask: why not rely on the abundant Pacific Ocean water?

Firefighters

The answer lies in the long-term risks associated with saltwater. According to Patrick Megonigal, the associate director of research at the Smithsonian Environmental Research Center, using saltwater is a last resort due to two main reasons:-

  • First, saltwater increases the speed of corrosion on equipment used in fighting fires.
  • Second, it can be devastating to most ecosystems, especially those accustomed to fresh water.

Research points out how saltwater changes soil chemistry and affects plant life adversely. In an experiment dubbed the TEMPEST experiment, Megonigal pumped salty Chesapeake Bay water into a forest test plot.

Trees in test plots treated with salty water browned within 30 hours, while nearby trees treated with freshwater remained healthy. Additionally, the test revealed that saltwater dissolved clays and soil particles, a process uncommon without salt exposure.

But these risks have not deterred Los Angeles firefighters from turning to ocean water in the crisis. Super Scooper aircraft scoop up thousands of gallons of ocean water as the fires intensify. But these measures can have consequences. Saltwater devastates local ecosystems like trees and wetlands, as demonstrated by ghost forests—wetlands formed due to sea-level rise.

A ghost forest on Capers Island, South Carolina.

That’s becoming an increasing concern as sea levels rise, which exposes coastal areas to saltwater more frequently. To that end, Megonigal’s team is trying to understand what limits ecosystem resilience to saltwater, with the hope of knowing how these findings apply to regions like Los Angeles.

In summary, while the use of saltwater portrays the desperate measures being taken to fight these blazes, it also points to long-term ecological risks. This decision—driven by necessity—reflects the increasing challenges posed by climate change and extreme weather events. As firefighters battle the flames, the need for sustainable solutions becomes all the clearer.

We have to solve these acute problems to be better prepared for future crises and to save vulnerable ecosystems from irreversible damage.

Reference- The Conversation, The Guardian, Smithsonian Environmental Research Center report, Futurism, NOAA website