AF C-130s fight wildefires north of Houston Published Sept. 16, 2011 By Staff Sgt. Stephen J. Collier 302nd Air Expeditionary Group Public Affairs AUSTIN, Texas -- Air Force C-130s delivered needed fire retardant to ground fire crews who were focusing their efforts on a wildfire north of Houston. Aircrews manning four C-130 Hercules aircraft dropped approximately 27,000 gallons of fire retardant against Fire 898, a 1,400-acre fire burning 25 miles east of College Station in Walker County, Texas. The fire's rapid growth, fed by afternoon winds, forced wildfire officials to direct Modular Airborne Firefighting System, or "MAFFS", aircraft to the area. An unknown number of structures were threatened by the blaze. Lt. Col. Robert Fairbanks, a MAFFS-certified C-130 pilot who flew fire retardant to Fire 898, said it was pretty obvious how dry south and east Texas are just by flying over it. "You can tell these fires are going to be a challenge with the amount of timber and pines in the area," Fairbanks said. "We've been flying along side helicopters and single engine air tankers that have already been out here, so it's good we can all bring in enough retardant to draw that line that keeps the fires from spreading. Our ability to help contain the fires with support to the guys on the ground is very important." The Airmen and the Modular Airborne Firefighting System-equipped C-130s are assigned to the 302nd Air Expeditionary Group, based at Austin-Bergstrom International Airport in Austin, Texas. The Sept. 13 retardant drops against the Walker County fire bring the total amount of MAFFS support in Texas to 45,000 gallons since aircraft and personnel arrived in Austin Sept. 10. Numerous fires throughout Texas are the result of 95 percent of the state being identified as having extreme drought conditions. Of those counties, 81 percent have been placed in the exceptional drought category, the most severe available. The U.S. Forest Service MAFFS units are a self-contained, portable aerial firefighting system, which can discharge 3,000 gallons of water or fire retardant in less than five seconds, over an area one-quarter of a mile long by 60 feet wide. Once a load is discharged, the MAFFS system can be refilled in less than 12 minutes. The Airmen and aircraft, assigned to the Air Force Reserve's 302nd Airlift Wing and the Air National Guard's 145th Airlift Wing, are deployed to the Austin-Bergstrom airport to assist with battling the worst wildfires in Texas history. The 302nd AEG currently has assigned six C-130 Hercules aircraft and more than 90 Airmen based in both Texas and Idaho. For more information on fires throughout Texas, visit www.nifc.gov or www.txforestservice.tamu.edu.
