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A California Air National Guard C-130 outfitted with firefighting equipment.
Two Air National Guard C-130Js outfitted with firefighting equipment have been activated to help battle fires raging in and around Los Angeles, with another two getting ready.
The C-130Js from the California Air National Guard’s 146th Airlift Wing based near the fires are the first to be activated, with another two C-130s from the Nevada Air National Guard’s 152nd Airlift Wing preparing to help with the operations, Pentagon Deputy Press Secretary Sabrina Singh said Jan. 8.
The C-130s are equipped with the U.S. Forest Service-owned Modular Airborne Fire Fighting System, roll-on equipment that drops a pink chemical fire retardant at a rate of up to 3,000 gal. in less than 10 sec. Four more C-130s could be activated if needed, Singh says.
Ten U.S. Navy helicopters outfitted with water baskets could also be activated to assist, Singh says.
Five fires are burning in and around Los Angeles, totaling about 23,000 acres at 0% containment as of the afternoon of Jan. 8, CalFire said.
The activations are limited at the moment because of the intensity of winds and the ongoing fires are restricting the ability to operate in the region, Singh says.
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