Cars, homes, trees and kids' toys in Los Angeles have been covered by a bright pink substance. It is a fire retardant that has been dropped by the gallons by air tankers to try to slow down the spead of the devastating wildfires. The Mandeville Canyon neighbourhood, which has so far been partly spared from the blazes, is one such area coated in the Barbie-pink slurry, much of it being a product called Phos-Chek that has been used by the US Forest Service since the 1960s. IMAGES