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C-130s support fight against Mexican wildland fires

  • Published
  • By U.S. Northern Command
  • public affairs
LAUGHLIN AIR FORCE BASE, Texas --  Two Department of Defense C-130 aircraft conducted three aerial firefighting missions from here today in support of the ongoing efforts to contain the wildland fires in the Mexico state of Coahuila.

The C-130's, from the 302nd Airlift Wing at Peterson Air Force Base, Colo., and under the command and control of U.S. Northern Command, dropped approximately 9,000 gallons of fire suppressant on the effected area, approximately 50 miles south of the Texas/Mexico border.

The aircraft are equipped with the U.S. Forest Service Modular Airborne Fire Fighting System, a self-contained aerial firefighting system designed for installation on the C-130 aircraft without major structural modifications to the aircraft.

Each MAFFS aircraft can drop up to 3,000 gallons of suppressant or fire retardant on each mission.

At the request of the Mexican government and U.S. Department of State, USNORTHCOM deployed the two C-130 aircraft to assist Mexico's fire fighting efforts against the wildfires that have burned more than 245,000 acres in Coahuila.