Studies show that retardant is most effective in slowing fire growth in sparse vegetation on flat land in cool conditions, not so much at the peak of the afternoon under the blazing sun. Though firefighters can’t control where a fire erupts, if it happens in the morning (and wind conditions permit,) they’d have a better chance of slowing the fire’s growth with retardant than they would if it broke out in the afternoon, Ingalsbee said.

Source: Los Angeles Times April 07, 2019 09:56 UTC