Wildfires in the United States are fought from the air with six kinds of aircraft: airtankers that drop retardant, helicopters, water scoopers, smokejumper planes, leadplanes and air attack planes. The biggest, a DC-10 very large airtanker, can drop up to 9,400 gallons in one pass. The smallest single engine airtanker carries up to 800 gallons.
Most of what follows comes from the National Interagency Fire Center (NIFC), which coordinates the federal wildland fire agencies. Capacities are the NIFC figures, so other countries' fleets will differ.
Key Takeaways
Airtankers come in three sizes: very large (up to 9,400 gallons), large (2,000 to 4,000 gallons) and single engine (up to 800 gallons).
Water scoopers refill from lakes in as little as 12 seconds and carry up to 1,600 gallons.
Leadplanes and air attack planes do not drop anything. They direct the aircraft that do.
The Aircraft at a Glance
Aircraft
What it carries
Typical job
Very large airtanker (VLAT)
Up to 9,400 gallons of retardant (the DC-10)
Heavy line-building drops on big fires
Large airtanker (LAT)
2,000 to 4,000 gallons of retardant or water
Retardant lines, more manoeuvrable than a VLAT
Single engine airtanker (SEAT)
Up to 800 gallons of retardant or water
Fires in grass and sagebrush, quick initial attack
Water scooper
Up to 1,600 gallons of water
Repeated drops close to a lake or river
Type 1 helicopter
About 700 gallons, or up to 15 people
Bucket and snorkel drops, crew moves
Type 2 helicopter
Up to 300 gallons, or up to nine firefighters
Initial attack
Type 3 helicopter
A 180 gallon bucket, or four to five firefighters
Fast response to small fires
Smokejumper plane
Eight to ten jumpers and their first supply of gear
Delivering crews by parachute
Leadplane
One pilot
Leads airtankers through the drop
Air attack plane
A pilot and an air tactical group supervisor
Coordinates every aircraft over the fire
Airtankers
Airtankers are fixed-wing aircraft with a tank and a release system built for dropping fire retardant or water. The Forest Service leads the contracting and management of the large and very large fleet.
Very large airtankers. The DC-10 is the aircraft NIFC names in this class. It can release up to 9,400 gallons of retardant at one time and drops at least 250 feet above the top of the vegetation. It is less manoeuvrable than the smaller tankers, which is why it flies behind a leadplane.
Large airtankers. NIFC describes these as sometimes called "Next Gen" airtankers. They carry between 2,000 and 4,000 gallons and are smaller and easier to handle than the VLAT. A C-130 dropping 3,000 gallons of reddish-pink retardant is the picture NIFC uses for this class.
MAFFS. The Modular Airborne Firefighting System is a retardant tank that slides into a military C-130H or C-130J without major changes to the aircraft. Congress created the system in the early 1970s. The Forest Service owns the equipment and supplies the retardant, while the Department of Defense provides the aircraft, crews and maintenance.
Single engine airtankers. SEATs are the smallest airtankers, carrying up to 800 gallons of retardant or water. The Air Tractor AT-802 is the best-known type. They suit fires in lighter fuels such as grass and sagebrush. The Bureau of Land Management manages the SEAT fleet.
Water Scoopers
Scoopers are amphibious aircraft that skim the surface of a lake, drop a probe and fill an internal tank while still moving. NIFC says a fill can take as little as 12 seconds. The aircraft needs water about 6.5 feet deep and 300 feet wide, and it releases from about 100 to 150 feet above the ground. Some scoopers hold up to 1,600 gallons. The CL-415 is the scooper the federal agencies have used in their exclusive-use fixed-wing fleet. The Bureau of Land Management also manages most single engine scoopers, known as fire bosses.
A water scooper dropping its load.
Helicopters
NIFC sorts firefighting helicopters into three types by size. A Type 1 helicopter is the largest, fastest and most expensive. It typically carries 700 gallons of water or retardant, using either a bucket or a snorkel that fills an internal tank, and some versions can carry up to 15 people. A Type 2 helicopter delivers up to 300 gallons by bucket or tank or moves up to nine firefighters. A Type 3 helicopter is smaller, cruises faster than a typical Type 2, and uses a 180 gallon bucket or carries four to five firefighters.
Helicopters can work where fixed-wing aircraft cannot, because they hover over a dip site and drop with precision. They also move crews, mapping teams and supplies.
A helicopter refilling its water bucket from a lake.
Smokejumper Aircraft
Smokejumpers reach fires that have no road access by parachuting from fixed-wing planes. NIFC names the Twin Otter, CASA, Dornier and Sherpa, or similar types. Each can carry eight to ten smokejumpers and their initial supply of gear. For Bureau of Land Management and Forest Service jumpers using square parachutes, the aircraft flies at 3,000 feet above ground level.
Leadplanes and Air Attack
These two small aircraft drop nothing. They keep the others safe and effective.
A leadplane is a small twin-engine fixed-wing aircraft with a single pilot experienced in flying over fires in mountainous terrain. It scouts the drop zone and flies ahead of the airtanker to show it the line to follow. Because large tankers are less manoeuvrable, leadplanes are usually paired with them, including VLATs and MAFFS aircraft.
An air attack aircraft carries a pilot and an air tactical group supervisor, described by NIFC as the "eyes in the sky". The supervisor finds the fire's edges and ground-crew access points, guides retardant drops, reconnoitres the whole incident and coordinates all the aircraft in the airspace above the fire. They stay in direct contact with the Incident Commander on the ground.
Why the Mix Matters
No single aircraft suits every fire. Heavy tankers lay retardant lines ahead of a fast-moving front, scoopers and helicopters make repeated short-cycle drops near water, and SEATs can reach a small fire quickly from a nearby strip. The federal agencies manage roughly 200 to 300 wildland fire aircraft, which NIFC says are positioned at airports around the country before expected fire activity.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the largest aircraft used to fight wildfires?
The DC-10 very large airtanker is the aircraft NIFC names in the largest class. It can release up to 9,400 gallons of fire retardant at one time.
How do water scoopers refill?
A scooper skims across a lake or river and fills its tank through a probe while still moving. NIFC says a fill can take as little as 12 seconds. The water needs to be about 6.5 feet deep and 300 feet wide.
What does a leadplane do?
A leadplane is a small twin-engine aircraft that flies ahead of an airtanker, scouts the drop zone and shows the tanker the line to fly. Leadplanes are usually paired with large and very large airtankers because those aircraft are less manoeuvrable.
Who runs the firefighting aircraft fleet in the United States?
The federal wildland agencies contract or own roughly 200 to 300 aircraft. The Forest Service leads contracting and management of large and very large airtankers. The Bureau of Land Management manages the single engine airtanker fleet and most single engine water scoopers.
