More than 600 California National Guard troops activated and 8 aircraft heading to assist with wildfires, Pentagon says

WASHINGTON – More than 600 California National Guard troops have been activated and eight modular airborne firefighting systems are gearing up to assist with the fires devastating the Los Angeles area, the Pentagon said Friday.

Two modular airborne firefighting systems, or MAFFS, are expected to begin operations Friday and the remaining six are expected to be ready for Sunday, Pentagon spokeswoman Sabrina Singh told reporters. The firefighting equipment, loaded into the cargo compartment of a C-130 aircraft, can drop up to 3,000 gallons of water or fire retardant in six seconds through a nozzle on the rear left side of the plane.

The White House in a statement earlier this week that the California and Nevada National Guards were each contributing two MAFFS, with U.S. Northern Command adding four more.

https://www.stripes.com/theaters/us/2025-01-10/california-fires-national-guard-pentagon-16442943.html