LOS COYOTES INDIAN RESERVATION (CBS 8) - A DC-10 air tanker has just been signed to a five-day contract to help out with the Eagle Fire.
"It carries 12,000 gallons of retardant which is about 10 times what a typical cal fire air tanker carries,"
Cal Fire says flames have now burned their way through 13,900 acres, pushing thick smoke into Borrego Springs, where residents have been on edge.
"Well, it was an uncomfortable week because the fire was very sporatic. One minute it's on a ridge above Borrego, then back into the hills, and in the evening it would flare up and would see fire up above, glowing and stuff," a resident said.
Cal Fire now says a wind shift is pushing the flames away from Borrego. No structures are currently threatened, and while the fire is 55 percent contained, it's moved into a tough spot to fight.
"This fire has been difficult as compared to other fires in that it's been extremely remote and fought in steep and rugged terrain, so steep that our fire engines and bull dozers can't get in into a lot of the areas. At this time we're having to fly many of our fire fighter in and out of the incident in helicopters,"
Right now there are 2,138 fire fighters battling the flames on the ground representing more than a dozen agencies.
They're hoping for full containment on Saturday.
