Forest Service activates C-130s for wildfires

The Department of Agriculture’s Forest Service has activated four Department of Defense C-130 aircraft including one from Nevada that are equipped with special equipment to assist with increased wildfire activity across the West.

The C-130 aircraft are equipped with the U.S. Forest Service’s Modular Airborne Fire Fighting System, which can drop up to 3,000 gallons of fire retardant in less than 10 seconds across a quarter-mile line. The system slides into the back of the military aircraft, and retardant is released through a nozzle on the rear left side. The national MAFFS program is comprised of eight C-130 aircraft.

The Forest Service said the C-130s can be converted into airtankers to provide a critical “surge” capability that can be used to bolster wildfire suppression efforts when commercial airtankers are fully committed or not readily available.

The Forest Service said one C-130 will come from the Nevada Air National Guard’s 152nd Airlift Wing at Reno, while the other aircraft will be supplied by the Air Force Reserve Command’s 302nd Airlift Wing from Peterson Space Force Base in Colorado; the California Air National Guard’s 146th Airlift Wing; and the Wyoming Air National Guard’s 153rd Airlift Wing.

The National Wildland Fire Preparedness Level was elevated to 4 (out of 5) on July 10 because of the increased wildland fire activity.

The four C-130s will join the Forest Service and other state and federal agencies fighting wildfires across the West. They are initially working out of Channel Islands Air National Guard Station in Port Hueneme, Calif.