Scientists have created a weatherproof fluid that sticks to vegetation aimed in order to prevent wildfires.

The water-resistant substance will stay in place for months – even after bad weather that would sweep away conventional fire retardants, according to research by Stanford University.

It is designed to eventually degrade harmlessly into the earth.

“This has the potential to make wildland firefighting much more proactive, rather than reactive,” said Eric Appel, the study’s senior author.

“We hope these new materials can open the door to identifying and treating high-risk areas to protect people’s lives and livelihoods."

The new technology is a cellulose-based fluid that stays on vegetation even after half an inch of rainfall. Scientists say it contains non-toxic materials widely used in food, drug and agricultural products.

"These materials are created from biodegradable and nontoxic starting materials through a facile and scalable manufacturing process," researchers wrote in the paper published in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

The gel-like fluid can be sprayed using standard agricultural equipment or from an aircraft, scientists say.

Firefighting crews already use fire suppressants and retardants such as gels that carry water but they are no longer effective once the water evaporates. Under normal fire conditions this occurs in less than an hour.

“You can put 20,000 gallons of this on an area for prevention, or one million gallons of the traditional formulation after a fire starts,” said study lead author Anthony Yu, a PhD student at Stanford University.

Wildfires spread across California – in pictures Show all 32 1 /32 Wildfires spread across California – in pictures Wildfires spread across California – in pictures Firefighters battle a blaze at the Salvation Army Camp in Malibu Getty Wildfires spread across California – in pictures Flames from the Camp fire burn near a home atop a ridge near Big Bend AFP/Getty Wildfires spread across California – in pictures Cathy Fallon (centre) who stayed behind to tend to her horses during the Camp Fire, embraces Shawna De Long (left) and April Smith who brought supplies for the horses Reuters Wildfires spread across California – in pictures A helicopter drops flame retardant on a wildfire in Malibu Getty Wildfires spread across California – in pictures An air tanker drops water on the fire along the Ronald Reagan Freeway in Simi Valley AP Wildfires spread across California – in pictures An abandoned car from fleeing residents of Paradise in the Pentz road area EPA Wildfires spread across California – in pictures A firefighter tackles the fire along the Ronald Reagan Freeway in Simi Valley AP Wildfires spread across California – in pictures A Jack In The Box fast food restaurant burns as the Camp fire moves through Paradise, California AFP/Getty Wildfires spread across California – in pictures Yuba and Butte County Sheriff officers label a body bag AFP/Getty Wildfires spread across California – in pictures Firefighters hose down trees on Bell Canyon Road, near Malibu AFP/Getty Wildfires spread across California – in pictures A fire burns at the Salvation Army Camp Getty Wildfires spread across California – in pictures A firefighting DC-10 makes a fire retardant drop over a wildfire in the mountains near Malibu Canyon Road AP Wildfires spread across California – in pictures A house burns in Paradise, California AFP/Getty Wildfires spread across California – in pictures Bins have melted and ballooned in the heat in Magalia, Butte County EPA Wildfires spread across California – in pictures Satellite image taken on 8 November shows plumes of smoke from the Camp Fire stretching across portions of Northern California AFP/Getty Wildfires spread across California – in pictures Firefighters battle the Camp Fire AP Wildfires spread across California – in pictures Firefighters battle the Woolsey Fire Reuters Wildfires spread across California – in pictures Deputy Coroner Justin Sponhaltz, of the Mariposa County Sheriff's Office, recovers human remains found at a home destroyed by the Camp Fire AP Wildfires spread across California – in pictures Buildings burn in Paradise, California EPA Wildfires spread across California – in pictures Local residents bring their horses to Zuma Beach and away from the Woolsey Fire in Malibu Reuters Wildfires spread across California – in pictures A used car dealership burns in Paradise, California Reuters Wildfires spread across California – in pictures Yuba and Butte County Sheriff officers inspect a burned vehicle after discovering remains nearby in Concow AFP/Getty Wildfires spread across California – in pictures Firefighters battle the flames in Thousand Oaks Reuters Wildfires spread across California – in pictures A house burns in Paradise, California AFP/Getty Wildfires spread across California – in pictures A house burns in Paradise, California AP Wildfires spread across California – in pictures Search and rescue teams work to evacuate patients from the burning Feather River Hospital in Paradise, California AFP/Getty Wildfires spread across California – in pictures Embers blow in the wind in Paradise, California AFP/Getty Wildfires spread across California – in pictures In Butte County, the sky is filled with the smoke of the Camp Fire EPA Wildfires spread across California – in pictures Firefighters at work in Thousand Oaks Reuters Wildfires spread across California – in pictures A house burns in Paradise, California AP Wildfires spread across California – in pictures The burned remains of a house and car are left after the Camp Fire in Paradise, California AFP/Getty Wildfires spread across California – in pictures A shop burns in Paradise, California AFP/Getty

Hotter and drier weather is making wildfires more intense. In California, the past two years have brought eight of the 20 most destructive wildfires in history with firefighting costs in 2018 coming to more than $3bn – the largest amount ever.

By stopping fires from starting, treatments could be more effective and less expensive than current options, according to the research.

Some wildfires are critical for healthy forest ecology but human activities cause 85 per cent of fires in the US. They mainly occur in hotspots such as roadsides, camping grounds and near remote electrical lines.

Around 84 per cent of the 300,624 wildfires occurring in California over the past 10 years happened in high-risk areas, researchers found.

“These data suggest that treating these high-risk landscapes with retardant formulations that provide season-long protection against ignition could greatly reduce the incidence and severity of wildfires,” researchers wrote in the paper.