PRAYERS NEEDED: Wild fires in Central Texas
DC-10 Fights Fires But Not in Austin
Updated: Friday, 09 Sep 2011, 6:59 PM CDT
Published : Friday, 09 Sep 2011, 6:59 PM CDT
The DC-10 supertanker at ABIA finally made it into the air Friday. It flew about a half dozen air drops, but none were in Bastrop County. Saturday, four military air tankers will join the fight.
The supertanker went wheels up, on its first run out of ABIA around 10:30 a.m. Friday morning. It slowly banked east, toward Bastrop County, but Nick Harrison with the Texas Forest Service said the DC-10 would by-pass Bastrop because the fire there was no longer a top target.
"Its a statewide resource (the DC-10) and we move those resources around to where the priority is said Harrison.
A fire, northwest of Houston, was the new priority. It had flared up in Montgomery County and was in whats called a forward movement. The DC-10 came in low over the flames and dumped its 12-thousand gallon load of red flame retardant.
"Typically our drop is 2 to 300 feet above the highest obstacle that you obviously dont want to hit, said Rick Hatton who owns the DC-10.
Each run can be a white knuckle experience.
"And typically what it does is block the fire to give the ground forces a better shot at containment, said Hatton.
The super-tanker is based in California and arrived in Austin Tuesday night.
Matching its load capacity, it costs the state $12,000 an hour to fly, according to the State Forest Service. There is also a $45,000 a day availability fee. The meter was running as it sat on the tarmac for 2 days adding to the frustration of the people who were evacuated from their homes in Bastrop County.
There were two reasons for the hold; a mandatory rest period for the pilots and an important part for the mission was missing. A mobile fueling station for the flame retardant had to be built. That job was done late Thursday.
There are other air bases in the region with pumping stations, but officials with the forest service claim none are large enough to hot load a jet the size of the DC-10.
"That aircraft would sit on the ground longer to try to load 12,000 gallons, said Harrison.
The reloading of the DC-10 take less than 30 minutes.
With more tanker planes set to arrive, Austin will now become the major hub for the Texas wildfire fight.
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