C-130 MAFFS units support southwestern firefighting efforts

  • Published
  • By Tom Saunders
  • AFNORTH Public Affairs
TYNDALL AIR FORCE BASE, Fla. --  Two C-130s from the 146th Airlift Wing of the California Air National Guard equipped with the Modular Airborne Firefighting System deployed to Kirtland Air Force Base, N.M., June 15 to conduct fire containment missions in support of wildfire suppression efforts in the southwestern U.S.

The aircraft, which are under the direction of the Joint Forces Air Component Commander for Air Forces Northern, deployed at the request of the National Interagency Fire Center in Boise, Idaho.
The 302nd Air Expeditionary Group will provide command and control of the aircraft from Boise. This year, the 302nd AEG, which is comprised largely of personnel from the 302nd Airlift Wing at Peterson AFB, Colo., has supported firefighting efforts in Texas and Mexico.

Fire containment missions, which are assigned by the NIFC or the respective Wildland Fire Manager, began June 16.

The Modular Airborne Fire Fighting System, or MAFFS, is a self-contained aerial firefighting system, which can discharge 3,000 gallons of water or fire retardant in less than five seconds, covering an area one-quarter of a mile long by 60 feet wide. Once the water is discharged, it can be refilled in less than 12 minutes.

The MAFFS is owned by the USDA Forest Service, one of several federal and state government agencies and organizations with roles and responsibilities in wildland fire suppression that comprise the NIFC. The Department of Defense is flying at the request of NIFC.

The DOD, through the commander of U.S. Northern Command, provides support to the NIFC in conducting wildland firefighting operations within the continental U.S., Alaska, Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands as approved by the secretary of defense.

AFNORTH is the air component for U.S. Northern Command and when tasked, provides support to local, state, tribal, regional and federal emergency service agencies.