SOMERVELL COUNTY, Texas — A key part of the firefighting efforts on the Chalk Mountain Fire on Tuesday came from the sky.
The Texas A&M Forest Service brought in aircraft to drop retardant as crews worked to contain the fire, which had tripled overnight to 4,000 acres.
And if you were watching from the ground, or saw the video, one of the planes likely got your attention: A commercial airliner-type plane flying low over the fire area, dropping heavy amounts of bright red retardant.
The airliner was an MD-87 operated by Erickson Aero Tanker, an air tanker company based out of Hillsboro, Ore.
Erickson has six MD-87 aircraft in total, according to general manager Matt Isley. Four of those are on "exclusive-use" contracts with the US Forest Service. Erickson also has aircraft on contract with California and Oregon.
While the tanker works with the Forest Service in planning how they'll attack fires, the tanker is also an operation of its own.
The Erickson crew includes a pilot and co-pilot, a crew chief, and a mechanic, who often stays at the base for any needed maintenance. Erickson also has employees at its offices in Oregon that can dispatch to tanker locations for added maintenance.
Their efforts come together for a routine, yet tricky, operation: Dropping 3,000 gallons of retardant, or about 27,000 pounds, in a matter of three seconds.
"What's impressive is the amount of planning," Isley said. "These pilots are just experts on what the wind is doing, what the smoke is doing, and what the terrain is doing. Mostly, when we're dropping [retardant] on the fire, we're boxing in areas so guys on the ground can clear areas out."
Isley said the MD-87 is good for firefighting because of its ability to hold the large load of retardant and also fly low to the ground, sometimes only 150 feet in the air.
Erickson, like other air tanker companies, had to get what's called a supplemental type certificate, or STC, from the Federal Aviation Administration to modify the MD-87 for firefighting.
When Erickson gets a contract, like with the Texas A&M Forest Service, they'll send their aircraft to a home base near the fire and then respond when needed, Isley said.
The tankers fighting the Chalk Mountain Fire on Tuesday were based out of Abilene. Other air tankers have been based out of Austin.
In all, the Forest Service has had 17 tankers on standby, ready to fight fires across the state.
Isley said Erickson tankers have dropped as many as 17 loads of retardant in one day, flying back and forth from a base for re-fills to the fire area.
The Erickson pilots will typically follow the lead of the Forest Service, which tells them where they need the retardant. But the pilots are also "initial attack rated," said Isley, meaning they can fly without a lead plane and identify areas of need on a fire.