Once again, Air Force Reservists and Air National Guardsmen are assisting in fighting ongoing wildfires in Northern California.
“Nearly 1,100 California Guard soldiers and airmen on a state active-duty status, along with 11 Guard helicopters, are supporting [The Department of Forestry and Fire Protection] and the California Office of Emergency Management at fires in the northern part of the state,” Navy Capt. Jeff Davis said about a fire that “has been ravaging the Lower Lake area north of San Francisco and has tripled in size over the weekend. The fires have expanded to cover about 84 square miles and 56,000 acres as authorities ordered more than 12,000 people to evacuate their homes.”
Army Capt. Bob Drexel scans the right side of a CH-47D Chinook helicopter above the Rocky Fire near Clear Lake, Calif., Aug. 1, 2015. Drexel’s position on the aircraft requires him to scan for potential hazards and help direct the release water from a large bucket.(Photo DOD)
Additionally, the California Air National Guard deployed two California Air National Guard C-130 Modular Airborne Fire Fighting Systems, or MAFFS, to McClellan Airfield outside of Sacramento and will be augmented by two more Air Force Reserve MAFFS aircraft slated to depart their home station of Peterson Air Force Base, Colorado, today.
Lead photo: A CH-47D Chinook helicopter prepares to release water from a large bucket onto the Rocky Fire near Clear Lake, Calif., Aug. 1, 2015. (Photo DOD)
The author is a retired U.S. Air Force officer and a writer.