Air National Guard on standby to assist California firefighters

CHEYENNE (WNE) —  The Wyoming Air National Guard has been deployed to help contain the fires in the Los Angeles area.

While resources from the Wyoming State Forestry Division that were meant to be dispatched Tuesday are on hold at the request of California, three Wyoming Air National Guard C-130s from the 153rd Airlift Wing were activated Jan. 10 to support firefighting efforts in California.

The fires began on Jan. 7, destroying thousands of homes and killing at least 27 people, with more than 30 missing. The blaze has burned dozens of square miles, forced thousands from their homes and stretched firefighting resources thin.

The C-130s are equipped with the U.S. Forest Service’s Modular Airborne Fire Fighting Systems, or MAFFS, and associated personnel were activated by U.S. Northern Command, according to a Wyoming Air National Guard news release.

MAFFS are the U.S. Forest Service’s portable fire-retardant delivery systems, which can be inserted into military C-130 aircraft without major structural modifications to convert them into air tankers when needed, according to the release.

They can discharge their entire load of up to 3,000 gallons of retardant in less than five seconds, covering an area a quarter of a mile long by 100 feet wide, or they can make variable drops.

Since their arrival on Jan. 11, 16,000 gallons of retardant has been dropped on the fires, the largest of which, the Eaton and Palisades fires, are not yet contained.

“It has been difficult to watch the absolute devastation of the wildfires in California,” said Col. Brian Diehl, the Wyoming Air National Guard’s 153rd Airlift Wing commander. “We’re honored to be able to participate in our nation’s efforts to combat these fires and return normalcy to the people and communities of Southern California, and as soon as possible.”

This story was published on January 18, 2025.