Cleanup begins for Scottsdale homes covered in pink slurry

SCOTTSDALE, AZ (3TV/CBS 5) — Mike Sleppy’s home was on the front lines of the Diamond Fire in June. In an effort to stop the spread, planes dropped bright pink fire retardant foam as those flames consumed nearly 3,000 acres. Sleppy’s home was caught up in the firefighting crossfire. A home once caked in bright pink in north Scottsdale will soon be back to its original color.

Sleppy chose to make light of the situation. “Quite honestly, I liked the pink, but the crews have been doing a pretty good job so we will have to get use to just brown,” Sleppy said.

More than 2 weeks later, and after dealing with insurance, cleanup has begun. Using a mix of water and detergent, the cleanup crews have made significant progress on the hot pink mess. One of the big hurdles when it comes to cleaning up is the need for water. The Rio Verde community isn’t currently hooked up to any city or county water, so it all has to be brought in. When a water tank runs out while they’re cleaning, they have to get more from elsewhere.

Even though it’s been an inconvenience, Sleppy said he is grateful to the firefighters for their work. “It’s a small price to pay, everybody is safe and nobody got hurt. All the horses and animals in the neighborhood are safe, so it’s a small price to pay. We can deal with it.”

The City of Scottsdale wants to hear residents’ thoughts on emergency preparedness in the city. They have a website where people who live there can discuss what the city should work on when it comes to safety or preparations. You can click here.

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