JANUARY 9, 2025 – The Defense Department yesterday announced it will work to provide additional firefighting personnel and capabilities to California as that state’s Los Angeles County region continues to be ravaged by a series of out-of-control wildfires that broke out yesterday.
The order to provide the personnel and capabilities came at the direction of President Joe Biden, Deputy Pentagon Press Secretary Sabrina Singh told members of the media.
“The federal government is working closely with the National Guard, which is deployed under [California Gov. Gavin Newsom’s] state of emergency declaration,” Singh told reporters.
“The California National Guard is adding two Modular Airborne Fire Fighting System units, and two more are being readied by the Nevada National Guard,” Singh continued.
Per the U.S. Forest Service, “MAFFS are portable fire-retardant delivery systems that can be inserted into military C-130 aircraft without major structural modifications to convert them into airtankers when needed.”
Singh said that DOD has four additional MAFFS that could be used to fight the fires — if needed — and that the department is also sending 10 Navy helicopters equipped with water delivery buckets to immediately begin assisting with combating the flames via aerial suppression.
“In addition to aerial assets, the California Guard is also activating two ground firefighting teams and four military police companies to assist local law enforcement and emergency response,” DOD Spokesperson, U.S. Army Maj. Jennifer Staton, said through a statement.
Staton added that all National Guardsmen tasked with fighting the wildfires are currently on state active duty.
When questioned as to why DOD wasn’t bolstering the affected areas with more assets due to the massive size and scope of the wildfires, Singh pointed out that current weather conditions weren’t conducive to getting many — if any — airborne assets operational.
“We can surge assets, and the president has directed this department to bolster whatever California needs; but we have to work with California, and right now we can’t even get assets up in the air because the fires are so bad and the winds are so bad,” Singh explained.
“Until we can get more assets in the air, there’s only so much we can provide; so, we’re going to be standing by to support in every single way that we can,” she added.
By Matthew Olay
DOD News