-This is a slideshow of 3 pictures taken on the Tungston Fire south of Winnemucca in 1999. The heavy tanker passed directly overhead and dropped from the saddle to the top of the hill. Notice the fire behavior after the fire hits the retardant line. Retardant is basically a fertilizer mixture mixed with red dye and water.  It is meant to decrease fire behavior enough to allow ground crews to suppress the fire, hence the name retardant. Most heavy tankers can carry about 3000 gallons of retardant that they can use for 1-3 drops before having to refill.  They are a very valuable tool for suppression on  the fast moving fires in the Great Basin.