Montana
Is Burning.
Act First.
Big Sky Fire Defense installs the only EPA Safer Choice certified wildfire defense system in the country — before fire season, not during it.
The Red Slurry
Is Fueling The Next Fire
The dominant wildfire retardants on the market are formulated with ammonium polyphosphate — chemically identical to agricultural fertilizer. Peer-reviewed science and federal courts are now exposing what that means for your land, your water, and your legal exposure.
Toxic Heavy Metals
A 2024 peer-reviewed study found phosphate-based retardants contained arsenic at 286 µg/L — 29× the EPA drinking water limit. Cadmium: 19×. Vanadium: 17×. Manganese: 13×. Chromium: 6×. Heavy metals don't break down — every application adds to permanent soil contamination.
Source: Schammel et al. (2024), Environmental Science & Technology Letters
More Fuel, Not Less
Phosphate residue fertilizes invasive cheatgrass, increasing biomass by more than 40% in treated areas. The retardant designed to stop fire is actively feeding the next one.
Source: Marshall et al. (2016), Ecological Applications
Pounds of Toxic Metals Deposited
An estimated 840,000 lbs of toxic metals were deposited on U.S. land via phosphate retardant drops between 2009 and 2021. Repeated application to the same corridors creates localized contamination hotspots.
Source: Sutter et al. (2023), Humboldt Journal of Microbiology
Federal Court Ruling
A U.S. District Court ruled that discharging phosphate retardant near waterways without an NPDES permit violates the Clean Water Act. Any entity applying these chemicals is now in legal exposure.
CitroTech® vs.
Everything Else
| Feature | Legacy Retardants | CitroTech® — Big Sky Fire Defense |
|---|---|---|
| EPA Safer Choice Certified | ✗ No | ✓ Only product in the U.S. |
| Phosphates / Toxic Heavy Metals | ✗ Yes — at dangerous levels | ✓ Zero phosphates. Zero heavy metals. |
| Works without water or power | ✗ Utility-dependent | ✓ Onboard tank, phone-triggered |
| Appearance after application | ✗ Red dye — stains structures | ✓ Patented chemistry dries completely clear |
| Duration of protection | ✗ Minutes–hours (while wet only) | ✓ Up to 3 months per application |
| Safe for waterways & aquatic life | ✗ 2024 federal court Clean Water Act violation | ✓ Non-toxic — freshwater & saltwater certified |
| Class A lumber fire rating | ✗ Requires pressure treatment; weakens wood | ✓ Surface-integrated, structural integrity preserved |
Certified
Gold Certified
Compliance
Ignition Test
Phosphates
Heavy Metals
Three Ways to
Protect What You've Built
Whether you're protecting an existing home, building a new one in a WUI zone, or managing high-risk corridor — there's a CitroTech solution for your situation.
CitroSafe™ Systems
A standalone sprinkler array with its own onboard tank of CitroTech fire inhibitor — trigger it from your phone as you evacuate and your home keeps defending itself.
- Roof-mounted or perimeter configuration
- No water or power connection required
- Operates during outages — activate remotely
- Installed in 3–7 days by certified crew
- Adds a layer of active defense that insurance can't provide
Lumber Treatment
Class A fire protection integrated at the framing stage. No pressure treatment. No structural compromise. For the first time, any wood-framed home can be Class A fire rated.
- OSB, plywood, lumber & mass timber
- Dries clear — preserves natural grain & aesthetics
- Factory or field applied — no delays
- ASTM E84 & TER 2504-101 compliant
- Reduces insurance exposure for buyers
Proactive Spraying
Ground-applied fire inhibitor treatment for roadsides, power line easements, community perimeters, and high-risk WUI corridors. Works 24/7 when aerial drops can't fly.
- Roadsides, right-of-way & utility easements
- Creates a treated perimeter that slows fire activity
- No NPDES exposure — Clean Water Act safe
- Safe for waterways, fish & aquatic life
- Trusted by firefighters & federal agencies
The Risk Is
Already Here
29 Years
Building.
One Mission:
Protect It.
Big Sky Fire Defense is based in Philipsburg, Montana — not a California call center. Our founder brings 29 years of construction experience, a licensed independent adjuster background, and CitroTech certified installer credentials to every project.
We know what it costs to build a Montana home. We know what it costs to lose one. That's why we're the only company in the region certified to install CitroTech's defense systems — the only EPA Safer Choice wildfire protection available anywhere.
About Big Sky Fire Defense