Cal Fire Beats Decade-Old Suit Over Firefighting Chemical Bids

The California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection may have made administrative mistakes in the process of purchasing over $50 million in firefighting chemicals, but it doesn’t have to recover those funds or cease its current purchasing plan, a state appellate court said Friday.

Competitors Eco Fire Solutions LLC and ICL Performance Products LP both manufacture chemicals used to contain wildfires called water enhancers, which increase the efficiency and accuracy of aerial drops. ICL also makes long-term fire retardant, which increases water’s effectiveness in suppressing fire.

Cal Fire determined that long-term retardants are more effective than water enhancers because they ...