VIDEO: The wet spring may have delayed the fire season, but the DC-10 supertankers aren't catching a break. Southeast Idaho has seen several fires already, but thankfully none was too serious. DC-10s are Very Large Air Tankers. Most of them are retired commercial airliners, but now, they're fighting wildfires.
"It's all about helping firefighters on the ground," said Robert Barnes, aviation officer for the Bureau of Land Management.
The V-LATs carry a liquid ammonium polyphosphate solution, a fire retardant that prevents wildfires from spreading. Most planes carry nearly 10,000 gallons (about 38 cubic meters) of fire retardant on any given drop.
"The retardant salts are what inhibit the combustion process when it takes place," Barnes said.
This stops the fire in its tracks, enabling firefighters to get ahead of the flames.