The pilot of a Cal Fire air tanker mistakenly dropped fire retardant on a neighborhood in Windsor, where there was no fire, and left a big, pink mess.
The air tanker was carrying 1,000 gallons of the retardant Thursday as it flew over the neighborhood. About 100 gallons dropped on the Decantor Circle yards, sidewalks and parked vehicles below.
Resident Alex Cruz and his neighbors regularly see air tankers filled with fire retardant flying in to land at the Sonoma County Airport. On Thursday, they got a close-up look at the material.
"I came outside everything was pink," Cruz said. "I've never seen this before."
Cal Fire crews broke out their fire hoses to clean up the mess Thursday. The agency said a pilot returning from a fire in Penngrove accidentally made the drop before touching down at the airport, coating nine houses, 12 cars, a camper, landscaping and the street.