A Prince George construction company is pioneering the use of an environmentally friendly method to prevent rail lines from burning in wildfires.
Mixed with 95 per cent water, it leaves a thick white goo that swells to retain water and maintain its fire-resistance properties. “What we know is no bridges caught fire, no rail lines caught fire. Everybody was able to access all the work up there. It works, and it’s working well.” “It attracts water, so it makes water go farther,” said Schuck. “When we spray it that water stays around because it is being bound in those gels and the organic clay.”
As a backup unit, LinkBuild has a hi-rail pickup truck that runs on the rail equipped with a small water tank that draws from 20-litre pail of Eco-Gel.