Military activates two MAFFS air tankers to join fire fight

MAFFS training, Boise, April 21, 2017
MAFFS training, Boise, April 21, 2017. Photo by Bill Gabbert.

The National Interagency Fire Center (NIFC) has requested two Department of Defense C-130 aircraft equipped with Modular Airborne Fire Fighting Systems (MAFFS) to support wildland firefighting operations in support of NIFC in the northwestern United States. One C-130H from the Nevada Air National Guard’s 152nd Airlift Wing, Reno, Nev., and one C-130J from the California Air National Guard’s 146th Airlift Wing, Port Hueneme, Calif., will arrive at Boise Airport in Idaho today. The aircraft are standing by for flying on behalf of a DoD-approved US Forest Service Request.

“We greatly appreciate the assistance of our military partners,” said Kim Christensen, deputy assistant director for operations for the US Forest Service. “These aircraft will help provide additional capacity for aerial firefighting.”

Having military C-130s that can be converted into air tankers provides a critical “surge” capability that can be used to bolster wildfire suppression efforts when commercial air tankers are stretched thin or an inadequate number remain available for initial attack.

Nationally there are 35 large uncontained wildfires being managed by 26 Type 1 or 2 incident management teams. As of Friday morning 156 helicopters are committed to fires along with more than 17,000 personnel. The number of contracted large air tankers activated was 23, plus 6 water scooping air tankers, before the 2 MAFFS came on board.

inside of a MAFFS air tanker retardant tank
Looking at the inside of a MAFFS air tanker, the retardant tank and one of the compressed air tanks. Photo by Bill Gabbert.

Reevaluating MAFFS

The Modular Airborne FireFighting Systems have not changed much since the 1970’s

Training for MAFFS personnel
Training MAFFS personnel, Boise, April 20, 2017. Photo by Bill Gabbert.

(This article was first published on Fire Aviation)

This wildfire season in the 48 contiguous states so far is turning out to be one to be remembered. Today nearly 25,000 personnel are working on suppressing 93 large fires across 14 states. In addition, another 47 fires are being managed under a strategy other than full suppression.

In May the Forest Service said they would have 34 large air tankers (LAT) if needed — 18 on Exclusive Use Contracts guaranteed to work,  plus 8 “surge” LATs guaranteed to work for a shorter period of time, and another 8 on Call When Needed (CWN) status. Of those 16 surge and CWN aircraft, only 5 could be produced in July. One LAT, a 737 owned by the New South Wales Rural Fire Service in Australia, has flown across the Pacific to lend a hand.

On July 14 the National Interagency Fire Center upgraded the Preparedness Level to 5, which was the earliest date in 10 years.

There is a shortage of Incident Management Teams (IMT). All available Type 1 IMTs, 14 of them, are assigned, plus 24 Type 2 IMTs. The National Multi-Agency Coordinating Group (NMAC) decreed on July 18 that all requests for Area Command, National Incident Management Organization (NIMO), Type 1, and Type 2 IMTs must be approved by them.

All of the LATs available and under contract to the US Forest Service are being used. There are no more. So what’s left?

The FS frequently says they can call on eight military C-130’s equipped with 3,000-gallon Modular Airborne FireFighting Systems (MAFFS). Since the 1970s the agency has committed a great deal of time and taxpayer funds coordinating with the Defense Department, annual training and certification, and when activated, paying the large costs associated with operating the aircraft. Each requires a seven-person crew, additional support personnel, and often a third conventional C-130 for every two MAFFS that are activated. They have not changed much since the 1970s. Instead of spraying retardant out of the lowered cargo ramp it goes out the left side troop door. They have two onboard air compressors that occasionally work, but still rely on huge industrial grade compressors on the ground to pressurize the spray system.

MAFFS training, Boise, April 21, 2017
MAFFS training, Boise, April 21, 2017. Photo by Bill Gabbert.

Until a couple of days ago only five of the eight MAFFS had been working for the last several weeks. Late this week a sixth was brought on. Four military bases each have two MAFFS and are responsible for having personnel available to activate them in less than 48 hours. Two National Guard bases have activated only one. Wyoming’s 153rd Airlift Wing and California’s 146th Airlift Wing each have one parked.

During a virtual meeting July 27 with Western Governors to discuss wildfire preparedness, President Joe Biden was told that their states need more aviation resources, help with obtaining aviation fuel, and more boots on the ground.

On August 4 Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack said the Governors’ request for additional aviation resources, “… Came to my desk. One of the challenges we’re working on right now is making sure we get the Defense Department personnel necessary to fly the planes. So sometimes it’s not even the planes, it’s the pilots, the people who know how to fly these planes…I was given instructions to… make sure we have the people in the planes to fly them.”

The Secretary was most likely referring to the MAFFS. But it is the Secretary of Defense who needs to take action to provide flight crews.

OPINION

The Forest Service was only able to acquire, to help protect our homeland from wildfires, 31 percent of the CWN aircraft they said they expected, and 75 percent of the MAFFS.

If what we’re doing is not working, will continuing to do the same thing bring different results?

If the Air Force can’t 100 percent support the MAFFS, an evaluation of the program by a completely independent group is warranted. Is there a better way to provide this service, or should a MAFFS 3.0 be designed and built? The analysis must be configured to insure that the FS does not have the ability to skew the objectives or the findings to fit any preconceived biases. And I’m not recommending a multi-million-dollar “study” that could take years. Simply get 8 to 10 subject matter experts in the same room to come up with a plan.

The President needs to order the Department of Defense to take care of two important issues:

  1. Staff the MAFFS with qualified personnel so the equipment can be used to help protect our homeland.
  2. Order the Air Force to complete the conversion of the seven Coast Guard C-130’s into air tankers. They have been slow-walking this project and the $150 million Congress appropriated to get it done since December, 2013. Coulson Aviation has converted a C-130 into an air tanker in six months. It may not have required a new wing box, but eight to ten years is not reasonable.

If the President does nothing to kick the Air Force in the butt, Congress should hold hearings.

Apparently no viable contingency plans have been developed for this shortage of LATs by NMAC, Interagency Airtanker Board, and the leaders in the FS, National Park Service, Fish and Wildlife Service, Bureau of Indian Affairs, and the Bureau of Land Management.

Not surprisingly, having only 18 LATs on exclusive use contracts is a strategy doomed to failure. That number is 26 fewer than were on EU contracts in 2002. Is this progress?

One of the lessons learned this year and others like it, is, Congress must appropriate adequate funds for the five land management agencies to pay firefighters a living wage, conduct more prescribed fires, and have at least 40 large air tankers and 50 large Type 1 helicopters on exclusive use 10-year contracts instead of 1-year contracts.

We often say, “air tankers don’t put out fires”. Under ideal conditions they can slow the spread which allows firefighters on the ground the opportunity to move in and suppress the fire in that area. If the winds are too strong or firefighters are not nearby, in most cases the flames will often burn over, through, or around the retardant. During these unprecedented circumstances brought on by the pandemic and drought we need to rely much more on aerial firefighting than in the past. And there must be an adequate number of firefighters available to supplement the work done from the air. It must go both ways. Firefighters in the air and on the ground supporting each other.

For new fires that have a suppression objective, attacking them with overwhelming force from both the ground and the air can sometimes keep a small fire from becoming a megafire that burns homes and threatens the safety of our citizens.

Here is what I have been saying since 2012:

Dr Gabbert prescription (Bill Gabbert is not actually a Doctor.)

Secretary of Agriculture says we can’t suppress fires and manage forests on the cheap

“We have to have more boots on the ground”

Governor Gavin Newsom and Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack
USFS Chief Randy Moore, Governor Gavin Newsom, and Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack, August 6, 2021. Still image from ABC10 video.

On August 4 Governor Gavin Newsom, U.S. Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack, and new U.S. Forest Service Chief Randy Moore met at the burn scar of the 2020 August Complex of fires in Northern California to discuss state and federal collaboration on ​wildfire response and fuels management across the West.

During a press availability, Secretary Vilsack uttered words we don’t hear from Chiefs of the Forest Service, or certainly from Secretaries of Agriculture:

We are prepared to do a better job [of forest management] if we have the resources to be able to do this… Candidly, I think it’s fair to say over the generations and decades, we have tried to do this job on the cheap. We have tried to get by, a little here, a little there, with a little forest management here, a little fire suppression over here, but the reality is this has caught up to us.

We have to significantly beef up our capacity. We have to have more boots on the ground… And we have to make sure our firefighters are better compensated. Governor, that will happen.

We need to do a better job, and more, forest management to reduce the risk of catastrophic fire.

Governor Newsom said he has been exploring way to obtain more fire aviation resources, lamented that there are “only a few contracted DC-10s nationwide”, and said he was looking at how “to get the 747 back in our hands, and that’s been a challenge, that thing has been sold, so we’re still working to get some more aerial equipment.” (This statement is queued up in the video below.)

Secretary Vilsack said the Governor’s request for additional aviation resources, “… Came to my desk. One of the challenges we’re working on right now is making sure we get the Defense Department personnel necessary to fly the planes. So sometimes it’s not even the planes, it’s the pilots, the people who know how to fly these planes…I was given instructions to… make sure we have the people in the planes to fly them.”

The Secretary was most likely referring to the military Modular Airborne FireFighting Systems, MAFFS, which can be loaded into C-130 aircraft to temporarily serve as air tankers. They are the only military air tankers used on wildfires in the U.S.  Each requires a seven-person crew, additional support personnel, and often a third conventional C-130 for every two MAFFS that are activated.

The Secretary’s comment could be the explanation for why only five of the eight MAFFS have been activated this year. On July 27, wondering if there was a specific reason why the remaining three were still parked, I asked US Forest Service spokesperson Stanton Florea if the three were available if needed. He replied on July 28, “There are 3 additional MAFFS-equipped C-130s that can be brought into service, if needed.”

As of today, August 6, there are still only five MAFFS working.

Gov. Gavin Newsom and Secretary Tom Vilsack
Gov. Gavin Newsom and Secretary Tom Vilsack tour site of the 2020 August Complex of fires, August 4, 2021. California state government photo.

Four airmen killed in South Dakota air tanker crash honored

MAFFS 7 crashed July 1, 2012 in South Dakota at the White Draw Fire

building dedication MAFFS 7 Air National Guard
Rob David, son of fallen U.S. Air Force Maj. Ryan S. David, delivers a speech during the Building Dedication Ceremony in honor of his father and three other members of the Modular Airborne Fire Fighting System (MAFFS) seven crew at the North Carolina Air National Guard Base, Charlotte Douglas International Airport, June 9, 2019. Photo by Tech. Sgt. Anthony Ballard, 145th Airlift Wing, Public Affairs North Carolina Air National Guard.

(This article was first published at Fire Aviation)

Yesterday four buildings at the North Carolina Air National Guard Base at the Charlotte Douglas International Airport were dedicated to the four airmen who were killed in an aircraft crash July 1, 2012 while fighting the White Draw Fire northeast of Edgemont, South Dakota. Their C-130 was serving as an air tanker using a Modular Airborne FireFighting System (MAFFS) in the cargo hold which enables the aircraft  to drop up to 3,000 gallons of fire retardant on a wildfire. There were four fatalities. The two loadmasters operating the MAFFS unit in the rear of the aircraft were seriously injured but survived.

Family and friends of fallen U.S. Air Force Maj, Joseph M. McCormick view building plans and a dedication plaque at the North Carolina Air National Guard Base, Charlotte Douglas International Airport, June 9, 2019 following the Building Dedication Ceremony to honor Maj. McCormick and three other fallen Airmen, Lt. Col. Paul K. Mikeal, Maj. Ryan S. David, and Senior Master Sgt. Robert S. Cannon. Photo by Staff Sgt. Laura Montgomery
145th Airlift Wing, Public Affairs North Carolina Air National Guard.

The article below about the June 9 building dedication event was written by Staff Sgt. Laura Montgomery, Public Affairs with the North Carolina Air National Guard.


As the rain descends, reverent family and friends of the North Carolina Air National Guard gather in a hangar at the base June 9, 2019 to commemorate the devastating loss of four crew members of the Modular Airborne Fire Fighting System seven mission over South Dakota that occurred July 1, 2012. The four fallen members, Lt. Col. Paul K. Mikeal, Maj. Joseph McCormick, Maj. Ryan S. David, and Senior Master Sgt. Robert S. Cannon, have buildings dedicated in their honor, including the new base operations, small air terminal, an aircraft maintenance hangar, and soon-to-be built flight simulator.

building dedication MAFFS 7 Air National Guard
A plaque is displayed dedicating the 145th Maintenance Group hangar to U.S. Air Force Senior Master Sgt. Robert S. Cannon, a Modular Airborne Fire Fighting System (MAFFS) seven crew member, at the North Carolina Air National Guard Base, Charlotte Douglas International Airport, June 9, 2019. Photo by Tech. Sgt. Anthony Ballard, 145th Airlift Wing, Public Affairs North Carolina Air National Guard.

“These Airmen selflessly gave their lives executing our C-130 Modular Airborne Fire Fighting System mission while fighting the White Draw Fire in South Dakota, “ said Maj. Joel Kingdon, 156th Airlift Squadron, “Today we say thank you to the families for their sacrifice, and we forever memorialize our fallen heroes by dedicating these buildings to serve as a lasting tribute of their service to our country.”

Members of the fallen Airmen took turns speaking about their loved ones and reflecting on joy they brought to their lives and their thankfulness for the men and women of the North Carolina Air National Guard.

“We’re unbelievably grateful for this building, we never really imagined anything like this happening,” stated Alex Cannon, son of the late Senior Master Sgt. Robert S. Cannon, “We feel only closer with the people here today, we look forward to seeing everyone and we hope to maintain these relationships.”

building dedication MAFFS 7 Air National Guard
Alex Cannon, son of fallen U.S. Air Force Senior Master Sgt. Robert Cannon delivers a speech during the building dedication ceremony in honor of his father and three other members of the MAFFS 7 crew, at the North Carolina Air National Guard Base, Charlotte Douglas International Airport, June 9, 2019. Photo by Airman 1st Class Juan Paz
145th Airlift Wing, Public Affairs North Carolina Air National Guard.

As these buildings are erected and modified to suit the new mission of the North Carolina Air National Guard, we reflect on the dedicated service of our fallen Airmen and their willingness to answer a call for something bigger than themselves.

“We take this moment, this chance to memorialize and remember these gentlemen, not because of the fact that they perished on that fateful day but because they actually served faithfully,” said Maj. Gen. Gregory A. Lusk, Adjutant General of the North Carolina National Guard, “The fact that they rose above and answered the call to respond to and secure the blessing of liberty.”

building dedication MAFFS 7 Air National Guard
The family of U.S. Air Force Lt. Col. Paul Mikeal pose next to a commemorative photo created for the 145th Airlift Wing building dedication ceremony at the North Carolina Air National Guard Base, Charlotte Douglas International Airport, June 9, 2019. Photo by Airman 1st Class Juan Paz 145th Airlift Wing, Public Affairs North Carolina Air National Guard.
building dedication MAFFS 7 Air National Guard
A plaque is displayed dedicating the 145th Airlift Wing C-17 operations building to U.S. Air Force Lt Col. Paul Mikeal, a MAFFS 7 crew member, at the North Carolina Air National Guard Base, Charlotte Douglas International Airport, June 9, 2019. Photo by Airman 1st Class Juan Paz, 145th Airlift Wing, Public Affairs North Carolina Air National Guard.

MAFFS 7 crew

Firefighters conducting very large backfiring operation at the Carr Fire

The Carr Fire has burned over 186,000 acres west and northwest of Redding, California

map Carr Fire california
The red line shows the perimeter of the Carr Fire at 10:16 p.m. PDT August 10, 2018. The white line was the perimeter two days before. The beginning of the burnout can be seen at the north end of the fire. Click to enlarge.

Above: Map of the Carr Fire, August 11, 2018.

(Originally published at noon PDT August 11, 2018)

Firefighters have decided to use a bold tactic to stop the northern spread of the Carr Fire in California. Since it started from a burning vehicle near Redding on July 23 it has burned over 186,000 acres in an area about 27 miles long by 19 miles wide.

(To see all of the articles on Wildfire Today about the Carr Fire, including the most recent, click HERE.)

The tactic they selected a couple of days ago was to go approximately five miles north of the fire and backfire, igniting ahead of the main fire hoping that eliminating burnable fuel will stop the main fire when it reaches the backfire. This is taking place along a 12-mile stretch at the northwest part of Shasta Lake near Moist Cove working to the northwest, roughly following Road N7601 and dozer lines they are constructing. Then they make a left turn south for another five miles to tie in with the main fire east of Trinity Lake.

If crews can get the backfire to consume the fuel for at least several hundred yards (more is better) toward the main fire, they will have a pretty good chance of success.

Backing off from the fire, WAY OFF, and removing the fuel by burning it, usually from a ridge, has often worked very well. Sometimes firefighters ignite a backfire from the next ridge ahead of the fire, which may not provide enough time to complete it to the point where it will be effective. The late Rick Gale, who over several decades fought some of the largest wildland fires as a Type 1 Incident Commander and Area Commander, would say, “Don’t choose the NEXT RIDGE, choose the BEST RIDGE”, even if it is miles away.

If the north end does not move any further, the backfire would encompass approximately 40,000 acres, roughly 12 miles by 5 miles in size.

The Carr Fire has been spreading more slowly in recent days. It has been fairly quiet around Redding, but has continued to grow on the northeast and southwest sides.

Resources assigned to the fire include 335 fire engines, 76 hand crews, 12 helicopters, 112 dozers, and 125 water tenders for a total of 4,665 personnel.

According to CAL FIRE, 1,077 residences and 22 commercial structures have been destroyed in the fire. Three people working on the fire have been killed, including two firefighters and one CAL FIRE heavy equipment mechanic.

A Red Flag Warning is in effect Saturday for high temperatures, low humidity, and gusty winds.

Below: The California Air National Guard shot this video from the cockpit of one of their Modular Airborne Fire Fighting Systems (MAFFS) C-130’s as it dropped retardant on the Carr Fire in Northern California July 31, 2018.

Military C-130 aircraft and the 747 activated for Southern California Fires

MAFFS
File photo of MAFFS 1, based at Cheyenne, but is seen landing at Fresno, August 5, 2017. Photo by L.S. Braun.

This article first appeared on Fire Aviation.

(Originally published at 11:53 a.m. PST December 5, 2017)

Two California National Guard C-130’s have been activated by the state’s Governor to assist with the wildfires in Southern California. Two large fires have burned a total of  49,000 acres since Monday afternoon — the Creek Fire at Ventura and the Thomas Fire near Sylmar.

A spokesperson for the 146th Airlift Wing said the aircraft have been activated, they are being prepared, and the Modular Airborne FireFighting Systems (MAFFS) are being installed, but they have not yet received the launch orders.

The MAFFS, which can be installed in a C-130 in a few hours, holds up to 3,000 gallons of retardant.

With the very strong Santa Ana winds currently blowing in Southern California, it remains to be seen if it will possible, safe, or effective to use fixed wing aircraft over the fires. Air tankers have to fly low and slow, and usually over rough terrain. Strong winds can make this unsafe and the retardant can also be blown far off the target.

Very few air tankers on U.S. Forest Service contracts are still active this time of the year. Last Friday there were only four, all in southern California; two CL-415 scoopers and two MD-87’s.

The 747 SuperTanker has also been activated on a CAL FIRE Call When Needed contract and will fly from Marana, Arizona to McClellan near Sacramento today, arriving at about 3 or 4 p.m.

The scoopers are due to end their mandatory availability period on December 6, but it is possible they could be extended due to the current fire situation in southern California. In September the USFS cancelled the last four years of the 5-year contract for the scoopers. The cancellation was to take effect on December 6, 2017.

Beaver Fire, MD-87, T-103, South Dakota,
An MD-87, probably Tanker 103, drops on the Beaver Fire west of Wind Cave National Park September 13, 2017. Photo by Herb Ryan used with permission.