Hundreds Now involved In Efforts To Combat Multiple Blazes

Members of Air National Guard (ANG) units from several states are now involved in battling the wildfires burning in the Los Angeles basin and around Southern California, with more than 1,850 troops from California, Wyoming, Nevada, and Colorado units working on fire scenes in the area.

The units are utilizing multiple C-130 Hercules aircraft equipped with Modular Aerial Firefighting Systems (MAFFS) to drop retardant or water on the areas affected. The aircraft are deployed from the ANG’s 146th Wing in California, the 152nd Wing and 192nd Squadron in Nevada, the 153rd Wing and 187th Squadron in Wyoming, and the 302nd Wing and 731st Squadron of the U.S. Air Force Reserve in Colorado Springs, Colorado.

In addition, the California Guard has also activated two ground firefighting teams and four companies of military police to assist with local law enforcement and emergency response activities.

March Air Reserve Base in Riverside County is providing support as a staging and distribution hub for supplies and equipment.

The California Guard also added hand crews to support interagency efforts assisting air crews and military police under the direction of CAL FIRE and the California Governor’s Office of Emergency Services.

Guard members providing ground assistance include those from the 330th and 40th Military Police Companies of the 49th Military Police Brigade. They are helping local law enforcement maintain order and support the communities affected by the fires.

Gen. Gregory Guillot, commander of USNORTHCOM explained, “U.S. Northern Command immediately took action as we watched and learned more about the fires in the Los Angeles area. Providing support to civil authorities is a valued part of our homeland defense mission. We’re well-practiced and in position to support the Federal Emergency Management Agency, National Interagency Firefighting Center, and the state of California to assist the many citizens in need.”

Gen. Steve Nordhaus, chief of the National Guard Bureau said, “Our hearts go out to the people of California impacted by these devastating wildfires. Helping communities in need is a core National Guard mission, and we are incredibly proud of the men and women who, as they always have, answered the call to duty to work alongside first responders and emergency managers and all of our partners at the local, state and national levels."

FMI:  www.af.mil/