An official website of the United States government
Here's how you know
A .mil website belongs to an official U.S. Department of Defense organization in the United States.
A lock (lock ) or https:// means you’ve safely connected to the .mil website. Share sensitive information only on official, secure websites.

Home : News : Article View
NEWS | June 24, 2008

Guard aircraft, aircrews battling California wildfires

By Master Sgt. Mike R. Smith National Guard Bureau

ARLINGTON, Va. - Army and Air National Guardmembers from California and North Carolina were supporting firefighting efforts in Northern California today following a state active duty call up by Gov. Arnold Schwarznegger and a request for airborne firefighting assets by the Interagency Fire Center.

The governor's office reported yesterday that a "swarm of dry lighting cells over the last 16 hours sparked nearly 400 new fires across the state, spanning from Monterey and Fresno counties to the Oregon-California border."

Gov. Schwarzenegger declared a state of emergency June 22 for Monterey and Trinity Counties. The governor declared similar declarations for Butte and Santa Cruz Counties June 11, 12. At least 30 Guardmembers were operating in Redding, Napa and Stockton.

The IFC reported more than 33,000 wild land fires in the U.S. this year. More than 1,000 new fires were reported in California June 21-23.

Two specially equipped C-130 Hercules aircraft, aircrews and support assets from the North Carolina Air Guard's 145th Airlift Wing arrived in Chico, Calif., Monday adding to 10 other Army and Air National Guard aircraft and aircrews performing firefighting missions in the state.

Four Air Guard C-130s carry special Modular Airborne Firefighting Systems (MAFFS) that can drop 3,000 gallons of orange colored water/fire retardant mixture. In addition, four Army National Guard UH-60 Black Hawk helicopters and one CH-47 Chinook helicopter equipped with helibuckets are also suppressing wildfires from a staging area at the Stockton Flight Facility. Two Army Guard OH-58 Kiowa observation helicopters from Los Alamitos are performing fire spotting missions out of Mather Air Field and one RC-26 Metroliner is performing aerial reconnaissance missions. Officials reported additional requests for at least eight Army Guard aircraft from Nevada, Washington and Oregon.

 

 

Related Articles
Left to right, North Carolina National Guard State Chaplain Col. Jonathan Heitman, Col. Pastor Noah Tsoka, Malawi Defense Force chief of chaplains, and Col. Alwynmichael Albano, U.S. Southern European Task Force, Africa command chaplain, meet before chapel services at Kamuzu Barracks, Lilongwe, Malawi, Aug. 11, 2024. The military-to-military exchange marked an initial visit as both teams prepared to collaborate on establishing a chaplaincy school for the MDF.
North Carolina Guard Chaplains Train with Malawi Counterparts
By Sgt. Alisha Grezlik, | Nov. 13, 2024
LILONGWE, Malawi – The Malawi Defense Force invited chaplains from U.S. Army Southern European Task Force, Africa, and their new state partners, the North Carolina National Guard, to participate in a military-to-military...

Utah Air National Guard Security Forces members secure the flightline during a nuclear operational readiness exercise Nov. 2, 2024, at Hill Air Force Base.
Utah Air Guard Showcases Nuclear Operations Readiness
By Master Sgt. Nicholas Perez, | Nov. 13, 2024
SALT LAKE CITY, Utah - The Utah Air National Guard completed an intensive Nuclear Operations Readiness Exercise Nov. 1-3. The exercise engaged the 151st Wing in around-the-clock operations, preparing members to execute their...

Pfc. Anamaris Irizarry Torres, center, with her father, Maj. Cesar Irizarry, second from left; mother, Nydia Torres, second from right; Recruiting and Retention Command Sgt. Maj. Kevin Ortiz, left; and Master Sgt. Leydanil Robles, right, Recruiting and Retention, A Company Operations NCO, following Irizarry's recruitment.
Puerto Rico Guard Recruiting Commander’s Daughter Enlists
By Siul Lopez Morales, | Nov. 13, 2024
FORT BUCHANAN, Puerto Rico – Maj. Cesar Irizarry, the new Puerto Rico Army National Guard Recruiting and Retention Battalion commander, welcomed his daughter into the PRARNG. Pfc. Irizarry Torres enlisted as a human resources...