200 active-duty U.S. Army soldiers, C-130 aircraft mobilized to provide wildfire support
BOISE, Idaho — The National Interagency Fire Center in Boise, Idaho, requested a Department of Defense activation of approximately 200 active-duty U.S. Army Soldiers to assist with wildfire suppression efforts.
The National Multi-Agency Coordinating Group at NIFC requested the personnel, along with command and support staff, from the DoD. After receiving training, the soldiers will serve as hand crews, assisting with wildfire suppression efforts in Northern California. Two similar requests were granted last year to support the August Complex and Creek wildfires in California.
The Soldiers will be trained over the next week at Joint Base Lewis-McChord (JBLM) near Tacoma, Washington and on the fireline to provide support in early September in Northern California.
“The United States has been experiencing above-normal fire activity throughout multiple geographic areas, which will likely continue into the fall. These conditions are creating competition for all types of wildland fire resources,” said Josh Simmons, NMAC Chair. “In order to meet current demands, we are working with the U.S. military to activate additional fire suppression resources.”
Currently, 84 large fires and complexes have burned 2.5 million acres in 9 states. Most of the large fires and complexes burned actively in California. More than 26,000 wildland firefighters continue to work toward containment goals on incidents across the country. The country has been at Preparedness Level 5 – the highest level of wildfire preparedness – since July 14. Several geographic areas are experiencing large, complex wildland fire incidents, which have the potential to exhaust national wildland fire suppression resources.
“On behalf of our cooperating agencies, the NMAC would like to thank the U.S. military for their assistance in protecting lives, property, and critical cultural and natural resources. Together, we work to reduce threats from wildfires and other disasters,” Simmons added.
The training at JBLM will consist of both a classroom portion and field training in the basics of wildland fire suppression and firefighter safety. The Soldiers will be outfitted with wildland fire personal protective equipment (PPE) and other gear to serve as wildland firefighters. They will be trained by wildland fire agency personnel beginning Monday, August 30. The training is expected to conclude by Wednesday, September 3, with the Soldiers supporting wildland fire response operations thereafter. While providing support, the Soldiers will be accompanied by experienced wildland fire strike team leaders and crew bosses from wildland fire management agencies.
The DoD has been a key wildland firefighting partner for decades, providing aircraft and personnel to serve as wildland firefighters. This is the 40th time since 1987 that active-duty military personnel have been mobilized to serve as wildland firefighters. In addition to the U.S. Army activation, eight U.S. Air Force C-130s equipped with Modular Airborne Fire Fighting Systems (MAFFS) are currently serving as airtankers, providing wildfire support across the West.
Meanwhile, the Forest Service has activated two additional military C-130 aircraft equipped with Modular Airborne Firefighting Systems, bringing the total number of MAFFS-equipped aircraft to eight that are battling western wildfires. The MAFFS-equipped aircraft are operating out of McClellan Airbase in Sacramento and assisting the USDA Forest Service and other wildland fire agencies with multiple large wildfires. It’s the first time all eight aircraft in the MAFFS program have been activated since a series of large wildfires in Colorado in 2012.
“Our military partners have provided valuable aerial firefighting assistance to numerous fires,” said Kim Christensen, deputy assistant director for operations for the USDA Forest Service. “The MAFFS aircraft have been heavily utilized so far this year as they were in 2020. We’re very appreciative of their efforts, including the focus on safety.”
“We are honored to provide assistance to the Forest Service during this challenging fire year,” said Col. Gary S. Monroe, AEG MAFFS Commander. “The team especially acknowledges the personal sacrifices of those on the ground battling the fires, which tragically includes loss of firefighter life. We are committed to our best effort working amongst the larger interagency team to help our nation.”
The MAFFS units and crews essentially convert the C-130s into airtankers that provide a critical “surge” capability during the height of fire season. The eight aircraft in the MAFFS program can be used to bolster wildfire suppression efforts when all commercial airtankers are fully committed or not readily available. The initial activation of MAFFS-equipped military aircraft occurred on June 25, a month earlier than in 2020 and the earliest activation of MAFFS-equipped aircraft in a decade. Four additional aircraft have been activated over the past sixty days. The 7th and 8th aircraft were activated August 22 and 25.
The C-130 aircraft are equipped with the U.S. Forest Service’s MAFFS, which can drop up to 3,000 gallons of fire retardant in less than 10 seconds across a quarter-mile line. The system slides into the back of the military aircraft, and retardant is released through a nozzle on the rear left side. Aircraft in the program are from the Nevada Air National Guard’s 152nd Airlift Wing, Reno, Nevada, the California Air National Guard’s 146th Airlift Wing, Port Hueneme, Calif., Air Force Reserve Command’s 302nd Airlift Wing, Peterson AFB, Colorado and the Air National Guard’s 153rd Airlift Wing, Cheyenne, Wyoming.