C-130s join firefighting battle in Colorado
The planes are expected to go into action today, flying out of Peterson Air Force Base, Colorado Springs.
Fitted with special firefighting modules, the aircraft can carry 3,000 gallons of fire retardant fluid and drop it on targets in under five seconds
Navy Commander Joe Guerrero, action officer at U.S. Transportation Command, said two of the planes are from the 302nd Air Wing of the Colorado Air Force Reserves, based at Peterson and two are from the 145th Air Wing of North Carolina National Guard, Charlotte.
Each plane will have a 6-member crew and a 6-member backup crew who have been trained for aerial firefighting. A fifth plane is on standby.
The fires, which started Saturday, have crept to within 10 miles of the Denver metropolitan area, forcing residents to evacuate the area. More than 20 homes have been destroyed in a 135-square mile area.
The C-130s were requested by the National Forest Service's National Interagency Fire Center (NIFC). The request came through U.S. Joint Forces Command, Norfolk and the Air Combatant Command, Langley Air Force Base, Va. Logistics were coordinated by the Transportation Command at Scott AFB.
Guerrero said crews are on orders to provide assistance for 30 days or until released by NIFC.
"This is the first time we have been called on for aerial firefighting this year," Guerrero said. "Last year we had numerous missions throughout Montana, Wyoming and California.
Task force commander for the C-130 mission is Brig. Gen. John Iffland, commander, 146th Air Wing, California National Guard. Channel Island, Ca.
The C-130, first introduced in 1956, primarily performs airlift missions and has been a workhorse in the war against terrorism in Afghanistan. Its design allows it to be configured for other missions, including aerial firefighting.
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