Chico residents react to military 'invasion'

A resident of Chico, Calif., proudly displays a message of thanks for local firefighters June 25. Residents in the city of more than 84,000 are seeing more firefighters and military members as additional manpower is needed to fight the state’s raging wildfire. Military members here are using the C-130 Hercules tactical airlift aircraft, which uses the modular airborne firefighting system, or ‘MAFFS,’ to drop up to 30,000 pounds of water or fire retardant on or in front of fire lines. The Airmen in Chico are assigned to the 302nd Air Expeditionary Group at the Chico airport. The group is made up of three Air National Guard units, including the 153rd AW, from Cheyenne, Wyo.; the 146th AW, from Channel Islands, Calif.; and the 145th AW, Charlotte, N.C. One Air Force Reserve unit, the 302nd AW from Peterson Air Force Base, Colo., is the only Air Force Reserve unit in the 302nd AEG. (U.S. Air Force photo/Senior Airman Stephen Collier)

Where's the fire?

July - Sep 2000 -- Air Force Reserve firefighting aircraft and aircrews quenched wildfires in California, Idaho and Montana, flying C-130s equipped with Modular Airborne Fire Fighting Systems. Here, an Air Force Reserve C-130 Hercules MAFFS aircraft assigned to the 302nd Airlift Wing, Peterson Air Force Base, Colo., drops fire retardant chemicals on the "Big Crow" wildfire in southwestern Idaho. The 302nd, along with the 146th AW, California Air National Guard, deployed to Boise, Id., to contain wildfires there before they could become major fires. The 302nd again fought wildfires in California in 2007.

MAFFS fight wildfires

An Air Force Reserve C-130 drops fire retardant onto a wildfire in North San Diego County, Calif., Oct. 24, 2007. The aircraft and crew are assigned to the 302nd Airlift Wing, Peterson Air Force Base, Colo. (U.S. Air Force photo/Tech. Sgt. Roy A. Santana)

MAFFS fight wildfires

Fire retardant is dumped from a specially equipped C-130 aircraft onto a wildfire in North San Diego County, Calif., Oct. 24, 2007. Air Force reservists from the 302nd Airlift Wing, Peterson Air Force Base, Colo., are participating in the Southern California firefighting effort. (U.S. Air Force photo/Tech. Sgt. Roy A. Santana)

MAFFS fight wildfires

Master Sgt. Tom Freeman, left, and Tech. Sgt. Lamont Wood prepare to deploy 3,000 gallons of fire retardant over a wildfire in North San Diego County, Calif., Oct. 24, 2007. The C-130 Hercules aircraft and crew are assigned to Air Force Reserve Command's 302nd Airlift Wing, Peterson Air Force Base, Colo. The aircraft launched from Channel Islands Air National Guard Station, Calif. (U.S. Air Force photo/Tech. Sgt. Roy A. Santana)

C-130s fight California wildfires

Approximately 3,000 gallons of fire retardant is deployed Oct. 24 over the Poomacha Fire in North San Diego County, Calif. The C-130 Hercules and crew are assigned to the 302nd Airlift Wing from Peterson Air Force Base, Colo. The aircraft launched from Channel Islands Air National Guard Station, Calif. Air Force Reserve Command officials sent two of its designated firefighting C-130H3 aircraft to help battle the raging wildfires in Southern California. (U.S. Air Force photo/Tech. Sgt. Roy. A. Santana)