Skip to main content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it's official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you're on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Class A Foam Suppressants

Class A foam suppressants contain foaming and wetting agents. The foaming agents affect the accuracy of an aerial drop, how quickly the water drains from the foam, and how well the product clings to the surface of fuels. The wetting agents increase the ability of the drained water to penetrate fuels.

Class A foam suppressants depend on the water they contain to suppress the fire.

Refer to the "Class A Foam Fact Sheet" for an indepth description of Class A foam suppressants.

Specification

"Forest Service Specification FS 5100-307b" provides the specific requirements for qualifying class A foam suppressants.

WFCS must first evaluate and approve Class A foam suppressants before they can be used on Federal lands. The process can take 18 to 24 months for a full evaluation. We list these products on our QPL once we approve them.

Submission for Evaluation

If your company is interested in submitting Class A foam suppressants for us to evaluate, please contact our program. Refer to the document "Manufacturer Submission Procedures for Qualification Testing of Wildland Fire Chemical Products" for an overview of our submission procedures.

We require the following completed forms at the time of submission:

Product Testing

"Forest Service Specification 5100-307a" outlines the testing and requirements that Class A foam suppressants must meet before WFCS places them on our QPL. The Wildland Fire Chemicals Test Procedures  web page outlines these test methods and requirements.

Approved Products

The following links outline information about currently approved Class A foam suppressants and provide company contact information:

Environmental Health and Safety

WFCS tests Class A foam suppressants thoroughly to ensure human and ecological health and safety. We integrate risk assessments and environmental consultations into our testing and approval processes. Refer to the following links for more information about using Class A Foam Suppressants: