Airmen with the Nevada Air National Guard load a modular airborne firefighting system onto an aircraft at the Nevada Air National Guard Base on Jan. 10, 2025 to support wildland firefighting in Los Angeles. (Paula Macomber/Air Force)
WASHINGTON – More than 600 California National Guard troops have been activated and eight modular airborne firefighting systems are gearing up to assist with the fires devastating the Los Angeles area, the Pentagon said Friday.
Two modular airborne firefighting systems, or MAFFS, are expected to begin operations Friday and the remaining six are expected to be ready for Sunday, Pentagon spokeswoman Sabrina Singh told reporters. The firefighting equipment, loaded into the cargo compartment of a C-130 aircraft, can drop up to 3,000 gallons of water or fire retardant in six seconds through a nozzle on the rear left side of the plane.
The White House in a statement earlier this week that the California and Nevada National Guards were each contributing two MAFFS, with U.S. Northern Command adding four more.
“We are standing by to support as needed with California,” Singh said.
The fires, which began Tuesday, have killed at least 10 people and destroyed more than 10,000 homes and other structures. Officials expressed optimism that an easing of the punishing winds that had been stoking the flames will allow firefighters to make headway on the fires, The Associated Press reported.
“These fires are not out, though today we’re going to make a lot of progress,” Gov. Gavin Newsom said Friday.
Other military assets include 14 hand crews for fuel mitigation, 200 military police for security operations and 10 helicopters for firefighting and search-and-rescue operations, Singh added.
President Joe Biden earlier this week ordered 500 active-duty personnel stationed at Camp Pendleton, Calif., to prepare to support requests from federal and state authorities with route clearance, search and rescue, rotary-wing airlift and general support. The personnel from Pendleton are all Marines, Singh said.
The Pentagon announced Wednesday that it is sending 10 Navy helicopters with water-delivery buckets to provide support. The department on Friday still could not say when they would arrive in the area.
“These helicopters are standing by. They’re preparing and ready to go when California is ready to receive them,” Singh said. “But we absolutely cannot just surge assets into an area without a plan.”
Navy Region Southwest is providing aircraft and aircrews from Naval Air Station North Island, Calif., Marine Corps Air Station Camp Pendleton and Marine Corps Air Station Miramar, Calif., she added.
