PETERSON AIR FORCE BASE, Colo. - Air National Guard C-130 Hercules equipped with U.S. Forest Service modular airborne firefighting systems have been tasked by U.S. Northern Command in support of the National Interagency Fire Center to supplement wildland firefighting efforts in Texas and in the Pacific Northwest.
Two aircraft from the 145th Airlift Wing of the North Carolina Air National Guard will deploy to Austin, Texas to fight fires there while two C-130s from the Wyoming Air National Guard’s 153rd Airlift Wing will stage out of Boise, Idaho, to provide support as needed for fires in western states.
They will be working with two aircraft from the Air Force Reserve Command's 302nd Airlift Wing here.
"This has been a very active fire season. We exceeded our annual average of fire missions two months ago and this is now becoming one of the most active fire seasons we have faced," said Air Force Lt. Col. David Condit, deputy commander of the 302nd Air Expeditionary Group.
The 302nd AEG is comprised of personnel from the Air Force Reserve Command's 302nd Airlift Wing, Colo., North Carolina Air National Guard's 145th Airlift Wing, California Air National Guard's 146th Airlift Wing and Wyoming Air National Guard's 153rd Airlift Wing.
MAFFS is a self-contained, portable aerial firefighting system, which can discharge 3,000 gallons of water or fire retardant in less than five seconds over an area one-quarter of a mile long by 60-feet wide. Once the load is discharged, the MAFFS system can be refilled in less than 12 minutes.
With the use of new MAFFS II units, this year's fire season was the first to successfully fly fire missions that increased effectiveness while decreasing costs.
The MAFFS units are owned by the U.S. Forest Service, one of several federal and state government agencies and organizations with roles and responsibilities in wildland fire suppression that make up the National Interagency Fire Center in Boise.