PRAYERS NEEDED: Wild fires in Central Texas
DC-10 is Ready for Attack of Bastrop Fire
Updated: Thursday, 08 Sep 2011, 9:33 PM CDT
Published : Thursday, 08 Sep 2011, 6:37 PM CDT
The DC-10 jet specially outfitted for wildfires is geared up to begin an attack on the Bastrop fire early Friday morning.
Crews are rested up after being on a mandatory break from fighting fires in California.
Austin-Bergstrom International Airport is not equipped to fill the tanker with fire retardant, but a mobile unit has arrived and will be ready to fill and refill the 11,000 gallon tanker. The mobile unit will fill the jet with a mixture of water and fertilizer which helps keeps the water from evaporating.
The jet is capable of dropping 100,000 gallons in four hours of flight.
DC-10s mission will be under the direction of the U.S. Forest Service.
Weather conditions will play a big factor on how much the tanker will be able to drop and where.
Read more:
http://www.myfoxaustin.com/dpp/top_...t-Fighting-Fires-20110908-ktbcw#ixzz1XSzwCssj