A Presidential order, delegated through the National Interagency Fire Center (NIFC) and U.S. Northern Command (NorthCom), has mobilized full-time and part-time military units to fight the fires in the Los Angeles County area of California. Those units began preparations on 10JAN2025, to be ready for action by 12JAN2025.
Marines prep a Bambi water bucket for their UH-1Y Venom.
On Camp Pendleton, California, U.S. Marine Light Attack Helicopter Squadron 367-Marine Aircraft Group 39-3rd Marine Aircraft Wing prepares Bell UH-1Y Venom for fire fighting duty. About 5-hundred Marines will join fire fighting efforts. I edited video via Lance Corporal Jennifer Sanchez:
California Department of Forestry & Fire Protection (aka Cal Fire) and Air National Guard prepare PHOS CHEK (a brand name of a type of fire retardant) and Lockheed C-130J Super Hercules (with Modular Airborne Fire Fighting System) on Port Hueneme, California. I edited video via Master Sergeant Nicholas Carzis:
U.S. Air Force-Reserve’s 302nd Airlift Wing loads U.S. Forest Service (USFS) Modular Airborne Fire Fighting System (MAFFS) on Peterson Space Force Base, Colorado. I edited time lapse video (sent with no audio) via Technical Sergeant Justin Norton:
Wyoming Air National Guard’s 153rd Airlift Wing personnel load a USFS-MAFFS into a C-130H Hercules on Peterson Space Force Base, Colorado. Video (sent with no audio) via Technical Sergeant Justin Norton:
Nevada Air National Guard 152nd Airlift Wing’s Maintenance Squadron prepares C-130H Hercules with a U.S. Forest Service MAFFS. I edited down video via Senior Master Sergeant Paula Macomber:
Idaho deploys personnel and equipment to fight California fires: https://shoshonenewspress.com/news/2025/jan/10/north-idaho-crews-deploy-to-support-efforts-in-sou/
U.S. Disasters 2024: Hawaii Fires, 4+ months on, Lithium batteries made things worse?
2023: MAFFS prepping for 2023 wildfire season!
2022: C-130 MAFFS deployed, Idaho suffers most fires/acres burned in the U.S.!
2021: California MAFFS prep.
2018: California fires make at least 1-million tons of waste!