The Durango Air Tanker Base has already used more than 400,000 gallons of retardant this wildfire season to date, June 15 , 2019, the most in a summer period since the Missionary Ridge Fire in 2002.
A C-130 Hercules heavy air tanker is one of several planes dropping retardant on the 416 Fire. The plane, owned by Coulson Aviation, is station at the Durango Tanker Base. Photo by Jerry McBride/Durango Herald
The slurry tank inside the C-130 Hercules heavy air tanker holds 3,600 gallons of retardant. The air tanker base in Durango opened in July of 2002, the summer of the Missionary Ridge Fire. Photo by Jerry McBride/Durango Herald
Jon Frisch, manager of the Durango Air Tanker Base south of the Durango-La Plata County Airport, says air operations are usually the most expensive part of firefighting because of the specialized equipment. Photo by Jerry McBride/Durango Herald
Jarron Flinders, an aviation officer for the San Juan National Forest at the Durango Tanker Base, says dropping retardant can slow the progress of a fire and allow firefighters to attack it from the ground. Photo by Jerry McBride/Durango Herald
Bill Tinney, co-pilot of the C-130 Hercules, is one of three people in the heavy air tanker when it makes a run to drop retardant on the 416 Fire. Photo by Jerry McBride/Durango Herald
Fire retardant covers the back of the C-130 Hercules heavy air tanker June 15 at the Durango Tanker Base. Photo by Jerry McBride/Durango Herald
Gauges surround the crew of the C-130 Hercules heavy air tanker used to fight the 416 Fire. Photo by Jerry McBride/Durango Herald
Crew members of the C-130 Hercules heavy air tanker stationed at the Durango Tanker Base always have their bags packed so they can be moved to another tanker base at a moment’s notice. Photo by Jerry McBride/Durango Herald
A C-130 Hercules heavy air tanker pulls up to wash the retardant off the backside of the plane June 15 at the Durango Tanker Base. Photo by Jerry McBride/Durango Herald
