UPDATED at 1:30 p.m. MT, June 23, 2012 to increase the number of MAFFS being activated from two to four.
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Four Modular Airborne FireFighting Systems (MAFFS) C-130 air tankers have been activated to assist in suppressing the numerous wildfires burning in the western United States. This is the first time the MAFFS air tankers have been used this year.
Two MAFFS will be provided by the 153rd Airlift Wing of the Wyoming Air National Guard at Cheyenne and another two will be from the 302nd Airlift Wing, Air Force Reserve, Peterson Air Force Base, Colorado. They will be based at Peterson Air Force Base in Colorado Springs, Colorado and are expected to be available to fly wildfire suppression missions by no later than Tuesday, June 26th.
The interagency agreement between the USFS and the Department of Defense requires that MAFFS be operational within 48 hours. However they usually have responded within 36 hours of the initial request.
