Inside the retardant operations on the Bighorn Fire

For the first time, KGUN 9 cameras were rolling inside the Catalina State Park where operations are underway to stop the spread of the Bighorn Fire.

OPERATIONS ARE UNDERWAY -- TOSTOP THE SPREAD OF THE BIGHORNFIRE.

NINE ON YOUR SIDE'SCIARA ENCINAS WAS INSIDE THEAREA -- WHERE HELICOPTERS AREHARD AT WORK -- PICKING UPRETARDANT TO STOP THE SPREADOF THE FIRE.CIARA ON CAM: RETARDANT STARTSOUT AS THIS DENSE POWDER.

IT'STHEN MIXED WITH AIR AND WATERTHROUGH THESE HOSES TO MYRIGHT.

THAT THEN GO TO THESETWO TANKS WHERE HELICOPTERSCOME DOWN TO PICK IT UP ANDDROP IT OVER THE SANTACATALINAS.

PKG: (NATS OFPLANES DROPPING RETARDANT)MUCH OF TUCSON HAS SEEN THEAIRCRAFT DROPPING RETARDANTOVER THE BIG HORN FIRE FOR TWOWEEKS.

"IT'S JUST ANOTHER TOOLFOR THEM TO USE ON THE FIREBUT IN HIS ROUGH THE TERRAINAND MOUNTAINS ISSUES ANDWEATHER CONDITIONS HERE."MARTY POSEY OWNS PECOS VALLEYWILDFIRE AND HE'S NO STRANGERTO WILDFIRES - HE HAS WORKEDTO STOP THEM FOR DECADES.

HESAYS THE HELICOPTERS FLY INAND TAKE UP TO 21 HUNDREDGALLONS OR MORE TO DROP OVERTHE FIRE.

"WHEN THE FIREREACHES OR RETARDING AS ACHEMICAL REACTION THAT TAKESPLACE.

THE FIRE WILL SLOW DOWNTO ALMOST A CRAWL.

AND IFMOTHER NATURE ALLOWS IT TOWORK RIGHT IN THE HAND CREWSCAN MOP IT UP AND CLEAN ITUP." AND HE THINKS THERETARDANT HAS BEEN SUCCESSFUL."THEY HAD THE POTENTIAL TOLOSE A REALLY LARGE NUMBER OFVERY EXPENSIVE HOMES.

A LOT OFVALUES AT RISK AS WE CALLTHEM.

AND I THINK, TO A LARGEDEGREE.

THE AIRCRAFT AND THERETARDANT MADE A MAJORDIFFERENCE.

THAT'S A MAJOREXPENSE.

BUT IT WORKS." TAG:YOU CAN EXPECT TO SEERETARDANT OPERATIONS CONTINUEOVER THE NEXT SEVERAL DAYS.REPORTING AT THE CATALINASTATE PARK, CIARA ENCINAS,KGUN 9 ON YOUR SIDE.LET'S GET OUR FIRST WARNING