Cal Guard remains hard at work during firefighting efforts
Story by Master Sgt. Salli Sablan
California National Guard Public Affairs
Sept. 8, 2021
SACRAMENTO, Calif. – Service members within the California Military Department remain hard at work battling wildfires.
"There are 1,264 Soldiers, Sailors and Airmen supporting firefighting efforts across the state," U.S. Army Maj. Gen. David Baldwin, Cal Guard's adjutant general, said Tuesday morning at a press conference held by the California Governor's Office of Emergency Services.
“While many of us had a holiday over the weekend, our state operations center and nearly 15,000 state firefighters and emergency personnel were operating on the ground and in the air fighting these fires,” said Mark Ghilarducci, director of the California Governor's Office of Emergency Services.
Last week, nearly 300 active duty Soldiers from Joint Base Lewis-McChord, Washington, joined the state’s firefighting efforts.
“We continue to have almost 40 military hand crews from the active Army and the California National Guard out fighting the fire on the ground,” said Baldwin.
In El Dorado County, soldiers providing security and support to El Dorado County Sheriff and Highway Patrol are beginning to assist with repopulation efforts for the areas that may have their evacuation status lifted soon said Baldwin.
“For the first time since 2012, all eight of the Modular Airborne Fire Fighting Systems aircraft from the Air National Guard and the Air Force Reserve were in the air simultaneously and that almost never happens,” said Baldwin. “They were out there hitting fires hard which helped firefighters get a handle.”
All eight of the U.S. military's MAFFS-equipped C-130 aircraft are currently in California and operating from Sacramento. Two are assigned to the California Air National Guard's 146th Airlift Wing in Ventura County. The remaining six are based in other states, but are here to drop fire retardant and build containment lines 3,000 gallons at a time.
Continued Cal Guard firefighting aerial missions include firefighting helicopters and medevac helicopters as well as remotely piloted and manned aircraft flying fire mapping and damage assessment flights.
“Predictions for September through December, show statewide drier weather, with increased wind events and potential large fire activity to continue for the next three months,” said Chief Thom Porter, director of the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection.
“We know these are difficult times and we continue to use every resource available to fight these fires throughout the state as well as out of state resources from our mutual aid system and the Department of Defense” said Ghilarducci. “They are here to help and I want to thank them for all of their tremendous commitment to California.”
Trees burn within eyesight of a California National Guard hand crew with Joint Task Force 578 during the Dixie Fire, Aug. 16, 2021, in Northern California. The task force is part of the mutual aid system in support of CAL FIRE, (U.S. Army National Guard photo by 1st Sgt. Harley Ramirez)
Trees burn within eyesight of a California National Guard hand crew with Joint Task Force 578 during the Dixie Fire, Aug. 16, 2021, in Northern California. The task force is part of the mutual aid system in support of CAL FIRE, (U.S. Army National Guard photo by 1st Sgt. Harley Ramirez)
“While many of us had a holiday over the weekend, our state operations center and nearly 15,000 state firefighters and emergency personnel were operating on the ground and in the air fighting these fires.”
Air National Guard Modular Airborne Fire Fighting Systems (MAFFS)-equipped C-130 lands at McClellan Air Park, Sacramento, to refuel and reload fire retardant to conduct another drop on the Caldor Fire, Sept. 1, 2021. (U.S. Army National Guard video by Sgt. 1st Class Amanda H. Johnson)
Air National Guard Modular Airborne Fire Fighting Systems (MAFFS)-equipped C-130 lands at McClellan Air Park, Sacramento, to refuel and reload fire retardant to conduct another drop on the Caldor Fire, Sept. 1, 2021. (U.S. Army National Guard video by Sgt. 1st Class Amanda H. Johnson)
A U.S. Army Humvee assigned to the California Army National Guard’s 270th Military Police Company, drives along U.S. Route 50 through Silverfork, California, toward South Lake Tahoe, as a plume of smoke from the Caldor Fire rises above the mountains, Sept. 1. Cal Guard activated 150 military police Aug. 30 to support the California Highway Patrol with traffic control points at hard road closures while the area around South Lake Tahoe is evacuated. (U.S. Air National Guard photo by Staff Sgt. Crystal Housman)
A U.S. Army Humvee assigned to the California Army National Guard’s 270th Military Police Company, drives along U.S. Route 50 through Silverfork, California, toward South Lake Tahoe, as a plume of smoke from the Caldor Fire rises above the mountains, Sept. 1. Cal Guard activated 150 military police Aug. 30 to support the California Highway Patrol with traffic control points at hard road closures while the area around South Lake Tahoe is evacuated. (U.S. Air National Guard photo by Staff Sgt. Crystal Housman)
“They were out there hitting fires hard which helped firefighters get a handle.”
U.S. Army Spc. Raymundo Morales, left, and Staff Sgt. Jesus Valencia, second from left, both from the California Army National Guard’s 270th Military Police Company, work a traffic control point along U.S. Route 50 at the intersection where South Lake Tahoe, California, meets Stateline, Nevada, Sept. 1, as the Caldor Fire encroaches on the evacuated area. (U.S. Air National Guard photo by Staff Sgt. Crystal Housman)
U.S. Army Spc. Raymundo Morales, left, and Staff Sgt. Jesus Valencia, second from left, both from the California Army National Guard’s 270th Military Police Company, work a traffic control point along U.S. Route 50 at the intersection where South Lake Tahoe, California, meets Stateline, Nevada, Sept. 1, as the Caldor Fire encroaches on the evacuated area. (U.S. Air National Guard photo by Staff Sgt. Crystal Housman)
A U.S. Army UH-60M Black Hawk assigned to the California Army National Guard drops water form a bucket on a simulated spot fire during a California Interagency Military Helicopter Fire Fighting Training Program exercise in Ione, California, April 27, 2019. California Army and Air National Guard helicopter units train annually with Cal Fire, the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection. The partnership enhances the California aerial wildland firefighting capabilities. (U.S. Air National Guard photo by Tech. Sgt. Julianne M. Showalter)
A U.S. Army UH-60M Black Hawk assigned to the California Army National Guard drops water form a bucket on a simulated spot fire during a California Interagency Military Helicopter Fire Fighting Training Program exercise in Ione, California, April 27, 2019. California Army and Air National Guard helicopter units train annually with Cal Fire, the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection. The partnership enhances the California aerial wildland firefighting capabilities. (U.S. Air National Guard photo by Tech. Sgt. Julianne M. Showalter)
California Air National Guard’s 163d Attack Wing MQ-9 Reaper remotely piloted aircraft takes off from a runway at March Air Reserve Base in Moreno Valley, California before mapping a controlled fire, June 9, 2021. (U.S. Army National Guard photo by Sgt. 1st Class Amanda H. Johnson)
California Air National Guard’s 163d Attack Wing MQ-9 Reaper remotely piloted aircraft takes off from a runway at March Air Reserve Base in Moreno Valley, California before mapping a controlled fire, June 9, 2021. (U.S. Army National Guard photo by Sgt. 1st Class Amanda H. Johnson)
U.S. Air Force Master Sgt. Jason Tyler, a geospatial imagery analyst with the 234th Intelligence Squadron, California National Guard tracks the route of a MQ-9 Reaper gathering footage from a controlled burn at Camp Pendleton, California, from McClellan Park (formerly McClellan Air Base) California, June 9, 2021. The MQ-9 Reaper flew out of March Air Reserve Base as part of BURN EX 2021, an interagency incident awareness assessment training exercise. (U.S. Army National Guard photo by Staff Sgt. Kimberly Hill)
U.S. Air Force Master Sgt. Jason Tyler, a geospatial imagery analyst with the 234th Intelligence Squadron, California National Guard tracks the route of a MQ-9 Reaper gathering footage from a controlled burn at Camp Pendleton, California, from McClellan Park (formerly McClellan Air Base) California, June 9, 2021. The MQ-9 Reaper flew out of March Air Reserve Base as part of BURN EX 2021, an interagency incident awareness assessment training exercise. (U.S. Army National Guard photo by Staff Sgt. Kimberly Hill)
U.S. Army Spc. Mandy Shantz, left, and Spc. Alicia Gutierrez, right, both from the California Army National Guard’s 270th Military Police Company work a traffic control point at the entrance to Van Sickle Bi-State Park, Sept. 1, 2021, in South Lake Tahoe, California, as the Caldor Fire encroaches on the evacuated area. Cal Guard activated 150 military police Aug. 30 to support the California Highway Patrol with checkpoints at hard closures while the area is evacuated. (U.S. Air National Guard photo by Staff Sgt. Crystal Housman)
U.S. Army Spc. Mandy Shantz, left, and Spc. Alicia Gutierrez, right, both from the California Army National Guard’s 270th Military Police Company work a traffic control point at the entrance to Van Sickle Bi-State Park, Sept. 1, 2021, in South Lake Tahoe, California, as the Caldor Fire encroaches on the evacuated area. Cal Guard activated 150 military police Aug. 30 to support the California Highway Patrol with checkpoints at hard closures while the area is evacuated. (U.S. Air National Guard photo by Staff Sgt. Crystal Housman)
The Cal Guard’s 146th Airlift Wing C-130 aircrafts equipped with Modular Airborne Firefighting Systems (MAFFS) sit ready to deploy between wildfire fighting missions at McClellan Air Park in Sacramento, California, July 28, 2020. The 146th Airlift Wing deployed two C-130 aircraft with MAFFS in support of wildfires in northern California in partnership with CAL FIRE and federal agencies. (U.S. Army National Guard photo by Staff Sgt. Amanda H. Johnson)
The Cal Guard’s 146th Airlift Wing C-130 aircrafts equipped with Modular Airborne Firefighting Systems (MAFFS) sit ready to deploy between wildfire fighting missions at McClellan Air Park in Sacramento, California, July 28, 2020. The 146th Airlift Wing deployed two C-130 aircraft with MAFFS in support of wildfires in northern California in partnership with CAL FIRE and federal agencies. (U.S. Army National Guard photo by Staff Sgt. Amanda H. Johnson)
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