ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. — An Albuquerque-based aerial firefighting company is assisting crews battling a wildfire in Arizona.
10 Tanker Air Carrier, headquartered in Albuquerque, operates DC-10 Very Large Air Tankers capable of dropping up to 9,400 gallons of fire retardant in a single pass. The aircraft are among the largest used in wildfire suppression efforts.
The company’s tankers were recently deployed to the Round Valley Fire in Arizona’s Tonto National Forest, located near Highway 87 by the Four Peaks area. Officials say the fire was sparked by a vehicle fire and explosion.
The DC-10 aircraft are used to provide heavy aerial support on large wildfires, delivering high-volume retardant drops to slow fire spread and support ground crews.
10 Tanker Air Carrier is considered one of the largest aerial firefighting operations in the world, responding to wildfires across the United States and internationally.
