Video: Fire Agencies Prep Airtankers for CA's Wildfire Season

May 8, 2021

The U.S. Forest Service, the Bureau of Land Management and other organizations trained at the San Bernardino Airtanker Base for another busy wildland fire season.

By Brian Whitehead

Source San Bernardino County Sun, Calif.

A U.S. Air National Guard C130-J Hercules from the 146th Airlift Wing prepares for takeoff during training at San Bernardino, CA, Airtanker Base on Thursday.

As California heads into fire season, the U.S. Forest Service, the Bureau of Land Management and other firefighting agencies hosted aerial wildland firefighting training at the San Bernardino Airtanker Base.

Throughout the week, C-130 Hercules with the California Air National Guard's 146th Airlift Wing and the Nevada Air National Guard's 152nd Airlift Wing loaded water in San Bernardino and traveled to drop zones in the Angeles National Forest for practice drops.

Equipped with a system that converts them into airtankers, the aircraft can drop up to 3,000 gallons of fire retardant in less than 10 seconds across a quarter-mile line, according to a Forest Service news release.

Aircraft with this system "can be activated to supplement the USDA Forest Service and the civilian airtanker program to slow or stop the spread of wildland fires across the nation," the agency said.

This week's training includes classroom sessions, flying and ground operations for Air Force aircrews, civilian lead plane pilots and support personnel from the Forest Service, Bureau of Land Management and other state and federal firefighting agencies.

"Summer 2021 is projected to be a busy wildland fire season," Lt. Gen. Kirk Piece, commander with the U.S. Air Forces Northern, said in the release, "so the training and command relationships are critical to our mission to protect life and property."

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