C-130 News

C-130 Hercules News

Nevada ANG Activated for Firefighting to assist in the greater Los Angeles area

January 10, 2025 (by SMSgt. Paula Macomber ) - U.S. Northern Command has activated eight C-130 aircraft equipped with Modular Aerial Fire Fighting Systems (MAFFS) and associated personnel to relocate from their home stations to the Channel Islands in Southern California to support firefighting efforts in the Los Angeles area.

Airmen from the 152nd Maintenance Squadron, Nevada ANG, load the MAFFS tank into MAFFS 9 (C-130H #92-0553 from 192 AS) at the Nevada ANGB on January 10, 2024, to support wildland firefighting in Los Angeles. [Photo by SMSgt. Paula Macomber]

The safety of the public, communities and all front-line responders remains the highest priority for all wildland fire agencies. The primary response strategy continues to be aggressive using local area resources from all partners. Our goal is rapid containment to minimize these large wildfires burning in the area. Having military C-130s that can be converted into airtankers provides a critical "surge" capability that can be used to bolster suppression efforts when commercial airtankers are fully committed or not readily available.

"U.S. Northern Command immediately took action as we watched and learned more about the fires in the Los Angeles area. Providing support to civil authorities is a valued part of our homeland defence mission. We’re well-practiced and in a position to support the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), National Interagency Firefighting Center (NIFC), and the state of California to assist the many citizens in need," said General Gregory Guillot, Commander of U.S. Northern Comm

The High Rollers were activated last firefighting season from July 18, 2024-August 30, 2024, flying 74 sorties, accomplishing 77 drops accumulating 207,109 gallons of fire retardant.

"The 152nd Airlift Wing, Nevada Air National Guard, is ready to assist in protecting the people, homes, and businesses in southern California.," said Col. Catherine Grush, the Commander of the 152nd Airlift Wing. "Californians are not only our neighbours but part of our family of guardsmen and women and we are honoured to help assist with this effort."

Air tankers are used to help build lines of containment with retardant to help reduce the intensity and slow the growth of wildland fires. Dispatch centres deploy aircraft to drop fire retardants based on requests from civilian Incident Commanders.

The MAFFS program is a joint effort between the U.S. Forest Service and the Department of Defense (DoD). The U.S. Forest Service owns the MAFFS equipment and supplies the fire retardant, while the DoD provides the C-130 H and J model aircraft, flight crews, and maintenance and support personnel to fly the missions. The MAFFS aircraft 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.


Courtesy of 152nd Airlift Wing



Additional images:

Airmen from the 152nd Maintenance Squadron, Nevada ANG, load the MAFFS tank into MAFFS 9 (C-130H #92-0553 from 192 AS) at the Nevada ANGB on January 10, 2024, to support wildland firefighting in Los Angeles. [Photo by SMSgt. Paula Macomber]