Hercules Air Tanker

This photo is a C-130 Hercules cargo plane that has been adapted to the fire-fighting role. It is shown here doing a practice air-drop at the Stead Air Base near Reno, Nevada. The red stuff coming out of the plane is a fire retardant slurry. This slurry contains a component that helps put out the fire, plus fertilizer to encourage the growth of new vegetation after the fire to prevent future erosion.