A C-130J Super Hercules with the Air National Guard employs the modular airborne firefighting system, discharging a line of water simulating a fire retardant drop during training in the mountains of the Angeles Forest above Santa Clarita, Calif., in May 2023. Eight C-130 aircraft equipped with modular airborne firefighting systems are being used to help fight the fires in the Los Angeles area. (Michelle Ulber/U.S. Air National Guard)
WASHINGTON — The California National Guard upped its active force to more than 1,800 troops over the weekend to help fight fires consuming the Los Angeles area, the Pentagon said Monday.
The force will support federal and local firefighting crews, military police and eight C-130 aircraft equipped with modular airborne firefighting systems, or MAFFs.
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 across a ¼ mile line.
Over the weekend, the planes conducted six missions during which they dropped more than 16,000 gallons of fire suppressant. Additional missions were anticipated Monday, said Air Force Maj. Gen. Pat Ryder, the top Pentagon spokesman.
In less than a week, four fires in Los Angeles have burned more than 62 square miles and scorched an estimated 12,000 structures. The death toll rose to 24 on Monday and at least 16 are said to be missing — counts that authorities have said are likely to increase.
President Joe Biden last 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, the Pentagon had said.
The Defense Department also has 10 Navy helicopters equipped with water-delivery buckets on standby to assist California as needed.
“We are doing everything we can to lean as far forward as we can, to be prepared to support the needs of the lead federal agencies,” Ryder said.
Additionally, Navy Region Southwest is providing aircraft and air crews from Naval Air Station North Island, Calif., Marine Corps Air Station Camp Pendleton and Marine Corps Air Station Miramar, Calif.
“You have got to do this in a choreographed way that synchronizes capabilities instead of introducing problems to an already complex situation on the ground,” Ryder said. “Again, we are going to closely monitor and as soon as and if those assets are requested, it will of course be available.”
