Fire retardant drops via DC10 and C130

[pasayten 4]

I live in Winthrop, WA.  We have had multiple fires, including the largest fire in the history for the state of Washington this last month. Here are a couple of videos of some large planes making the drops...   

 

DC10 dropping fire retardant over here a few weeks ago in Twisp/Winthrop... Goodness that is a BIG PLANE!

 

 

C130 (I think) dropping right overhead...

[VeryBumpy 272]

Does that stuff really work? Seems like so little area is covered, and what is covered, seems so thinned out by the time it hits the ground.

[Azapata87 173]

I think its not so much a question of does it work but there just is not a better way to get large amounts of water and retardant in the areas that these brush fires tend to happen.

[goates 576]

That second ones looks like an Electra, not a C-130.

 

http://youtu.be/hIl4eJHZxL0?t=2m26s

 

Wonder what the turbulence is like in the DC10 that close to the ground over a fire?