Long-Term Wildfire Retardant for Southern California Homes
Both Matador Fire services, the homeowner-deployed defense system and our professional application service, use wildfire retardant that provides long-term ignition resistance. The retardant we use is state fire marshal listed and holds the EPA's safest toxicity rating.
A Long-Term Wildfire Retardant Engineered for Residential Use
Professional-grade fire retardant is applied to vegetation, wood, and other exterior surfaces around your home, reducing their ability to ignite under ember exposure or direct radiant heat. Once treated, these surfaces resist ignition in conditions where untreated materials would catch fire.
Unlike water, which evaporates within minutes and offers no lasting wildfire protection, long-term fire retardant remains active on surfaces until washed away. The retardant stays effective until 3 cumulative inches of rainfall reach the treated area.
In practice: your fire retardant is working through fire season, when the risk is highest. It clears with the winter rains, when fuel moisture is naturally elevated and fire risk is lower. The timing is built into how the product works. It works as part of a broader wildfire mitigation strategy, active when risk is highest and clearing when it isn't.
Safe for Families, Pets, and Plants
- EPA Category IVThe lowest hazard rating on the EPA scale. Classified as “practically non-toxic.”
- Independently tested by StillMeadow, Inc.Third-party toxicology testing confirms non-toxicity to people, pets, and plants.
- Tested by Intertek to Cal Fire Title 19 standardsMeets the performance benchmarks used by California fire agencies.
- Dries clearDoesn't stain surfaces when applied. Leaves a light shine on treated vegetation. May patina copper fixtures over time.
The product is on Matador Fire client homes year-round across Los Angeles. Part of a wildfire safety plan you can maintain without sacrificing the safety of your family, pets, or garden.
What It Covers and How Long It Stays Active on Your Home
Coverage
The fire retardant covers approximately 150 square feet per gallon. In the Wildfire Defense System, each 50-gallon barrel contains enough retardant to cover 7,500 square feet. Most homes require two or more barrels to achieve full coverage. We size the system to cover roughly 2–3 times your home's square footage footprint, accounting for three-dimensional surfaces and wrap-around reach.
Priority surfaces:
Longevity
Active until 3 cumulative inches of rainfall. During a typical Southern California fire-season, the retardant stays active through the dry months and washes off when significant rain arrives.
For the application service, twice-per-year customers can address new vegetation growth mid-season, ensuring treated coverage stays current as plants grow in.
The Same Retardant, Different Services
In the Barrel You Control
Each barrel holds 50 gallons of fire retardant. The system is set up at your home, and applied by you. When evacuation orders are issued, you spray vulnerable surfaces. One barrel covers 7,500 sq ft and most homes use two.
Learn about the defense system →Applied Before Fire Season
Matador Fire crews spray fire retardant on the vegetation around your home on a scheduled basis, before fire season. It works without any action on your part.
Learn about professional application →We Evaluated & Tested Many Products
Since launch, Matador Fire has tested multiple fire retardants for homes, and remains committed to evaluating what works best for the communities we serve. We have come to understand the pros and cons of different products on market, and encourage questions about the retardants we choose.
The primary product we use works on the surfaces California homes are actually made of: wood siding, cedar shingles, and composite decking, as well as the surrounding vegetation.
Find the Right Wildfire Retardant Service for Your Home
A Matador Fire specialist can walk you through which service, home defense system or professional application, makes sense for your home's specific exposures.