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The California Air National Guard’s 146th Airlift Wing and the Wyoming Air Guard’s 153rd Airlift Wing (above) have been activated to support wildland firefighting operations in the western United States.
The National Multi-Agency Coordinating Group at the National Interagency Fire Center in Boise, Idaho, requested four Modular Airborne Firefighting System-capable C-130s from the Air Force in response to heavy wildfire activity across several western states.
Each of the activated Guard units provided one MAFFS-capable C-130 and support personnel. The 146th deployed to Santa Maria, California, while the 153rd went to San Bernardino, California.
Meanwhile, two MAFFS C-130s and crew with the Air Force Reserve’s 302nd Airlift Wing at Peterson Space Force Base, Colorado, deployed to Klamath Falls, Oregon.
MAFFS is a self-contained aerial firefighting system owned by the Forest Service that can discharge up to 3,000 gallons of fire retardant in less than 10 seconds across a quarter-mile line.
The system slides into the cargo bay of a military C-130, and retardant is released through a nozzle on the rear left side of the aircraft.
MAFFS-equipped military aircraft provide a critical surge capability to bolster wildfire suppression efforts when commercial airtankers are fully committed or unavailable.
Four Air Force airlift wings perform the MAFFS mission — the three with aircraft and personnel currently deployed and the Nevada Air Guard's 152nd Airlift Wing. The units operate under the MAFFS Air Expeditionary Group when activated for wildland firefighting.
The nation is at National Preparedness Level 5, the highest level, with significant fire activity in the Southwest, Great Basin, Rocky Mountain and Northwest geographic areas.
Firefighters are working to suppress and contain 78 large fires burning more than 1.1 million acres across the country, including nine new large incidents since Saturday, according to the National Interagency Fire Center website.
Almost 20,000 firefighters and support personnel were engaged in nationwide fire activity as of Sunday, including 420 crews, 1,142 engines and 144 helicopters.
Fire potential is expected to increase because of extremely dry fuels, excessive heat and forecasted dry lightning.
“Our Airmen train year-round alongside the U.S. Forest Service and our interagency partners for exactly this mission,” said Col. Brian Diehl, the 157th Airlift Wing commander in a unit release.
“This is one of the most visible and rewarding missions we perform,” said Maj. Randi Carpenter, a navigator with the wing serving as mission commander for the activation. “Our crews understand that every drop they make helps a firefighter on the ground, and they take that responsibility seriously.”
The National Interagency Fire Center serves as the nation’s primary coordination center for wildland firefighting efforts, comprising eight key agencies and organizations, including the Bureau of Land Management, Bureau of Indian Affairs, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, National Park Service, U.S. Forest Service, National Weather Service, U.S. Fire Administration, National Association of State Foresters and various state emergency response agencies.
—With reporting by Master Sgt. Jonathon Alderman
153rd Airlift Wing
