Lt. Col Paul Mikeal a C-130 pilot assigned to the 145th Airlift Wing, runs thru the departure checklist before departing for Peterson Air Force Base, Colo., to support fire fighting throughout the Rocky Mountain area using the Modular Airborne Fire Fighting System. Photo by Tech. Sgt. Brian Christiansen

USNORTHCOM July 2, 2012:

The military C-130 aircraft activated to assist with the Rocky Mountain region’s firefighting efforts will not operate today.

The fleet will spend the day to get the MAFFS crews together to “reflect, reset and review,” said Col. Jerry Champlin, 153rd Air Expeditionary Group commander. “We all need to make sure our crews and planes will be ready to re-engage in the mission safely,” he added.
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Kansas crew members observe the area as they help at the High Park fire in Larimer County, Colo., approximately 15 miles west of Fort Collins, by dropping water with their Bambi buckets in designated areas enforcing back burns and provide structure protection, June 19, 2012. Photo by Sgt. Ryan Kohlman, Company G, 2nd-135th General Support Aviation Battalion

Two large wildfires in Colorado strengthened yesterday and moved to threaten more homes and businesses. The High Park fire and the Waldo Canyon fire have now burned a combined total of 83,000 acres. Yesterday’s weather allowed both fires to expand significantly and force firefighters working the High Park fire to relocate.
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A UH-60 Black Hawk helicopter from the Colorado Army National Guard’s 2nd Battalion, 135th General Support Aviation, drops 500 gallons of water from a specialized bucket onto the Lower North Fork Fire in the vicinity of Conifer, Colo., March 28, 2012. Army National Guard photo by Spc. Bethany Fehringer

DVIDS
Story by Sgt. Darron Salzer

Citizen-soldiers and airmen from five states are working alongside civilian first responders as they continue to battle wildfires in Colorado and New Mexico.

New Mexico Army National Guard members are still battling the Little Bear wildfire near Ruidoso, N.M., which is approximately 35 percent contained, said Guard officials.

The number of New Mexico Guard members has increased from 117 to approximately 218 since June 11. The New Mexico Guard has deployed three UH-60 Black Hawk helicopters, two equipped with Bambi buckets and one on standby for medical evacuations.

Guard members there are also performing roving walking patrols, setting up traffic control points, and handing out information to residents who could be affected by the wildfire, officials said.

In Colorado, Guard members there are also continuing to battle the High Peak wildfire near Fort Collins, said officials.
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A C-130 assigned to the 145th Airlift Wing, North Carolina Air National Guard, drops 3,000 gallons of water using Modular Airborne Fire Fighting System during the MAFFS 2008 annual certifying event. TECH. SGT. BRIAN E. CHRISTIANSEN / AIR NATIONAL GUARD

Four large wildfires, two in New Mexico and two in Colorado, are turning what was a below average fire season into something much hotter. NOAA’s National Climatic Data Center reports that the number of wildfires from March through May was the lowest on record. The number of acres burned through May was just 29 percent of last year’s record total of 3.2 million acres. The wildfires in New Mexico and Colorado will add to the 2012 totals significantly.
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A C-130 Hercules from the Air Force Reserve Command's 302nd Airlift Wing in Colorado Springs,Colo., equipped with a Modular Airborne Firefighting System, drops a line of fire retardant in West Texas, April 27, 2011. MAFFS-equipped planes are capable of dispensing 3,000 gallons of water or fire retardant in under five seconds. MAFFs aircraft have been sent to New Mexico to support the ongoing firefighting efforts in the southwestern U.S. U.S. Air Force photo - Staff Sgt. Eric Harris

Under the direction of the Joint Forces Air Component commander for Air Forces Northern here, two C-130 Hercules aircraft from the California Air National Guard’s 146th Airlift Wing, both equipped with Modular Airborne Firefighting Systems, or MAFFS, 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 are being deployed at the request of National Interagency Fire Center officials in Boise, Idaho. Members of the 302nd Air Expeditionary Group will provide command and control of the aircraft from Boise. This year, the 302nd AEG, which is composed 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 NIFC officials or the respective wildland fire manager, are scheduled to begin June 16.

The MAFFS is a self-contained aerial firefighting system that 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 load is discharged, a MAFFS can be refilled in less than 12 minutes.

The MAFFSs are 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 in Boise, Idaho. Department of Defense aircrews are flying at the request of NIFC officials.

The Department of Defense, 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.

Air Force
by Tom Saunders
Air Forces Northern Public Affairs