MAFFS C-130 Airtankers Deployed to Klamath Falls as Nation Fights 78 Large Fires

As the Pacific Northwest battles one of its most active early-peak fire seasons in recent memory, federal and state agencies have deployed significant additional resources to the region, including military aviation assets that are now staged and ready to support suppression operations across Oregon and Northern California.

MAFFS C-130s at Klamath Falls

Two Modular Airborne Fire Fighting System (MAFFS) C-130 airtankers and support personnel from the 302nd Airlift Wing of the Colorado Air National Guard have been deployed to Klamath Falls, Oregon. MAFFS units are civilian-military partnerships that allow Air Force and Air National Guard C-130 aircraft to be rapidly configured as large airtankers during periods of high fire activity when the Forest Service's contracted air tanker fleet is fully committed.

The deployment to Klamath Falls positions these assets centrally to support incidents across southern Oregon, northern California, and the Great Basin, and they can be repositioned to eastern Oregon or Washington within hours if priorities shift. MAFFS activations are ordered by the USDA Forest Service when the agency determines that the contracted tanker fleet is insufficient to meet national suppression needs.

National Picture: 78 Large Fires, 3.9 Million Acres

According to NIFC's most recent Incident Management Situation Report, firefighters are working to suppress and contain 78 large fires burning across the country, including nine new large incidents since the previous day's report. Nationally, wildfires have burned approximately 3,888,322 acres year-to-date as of July 19 — a figure that underscores how broadly the 2026 fire season has impacted the American West.

Regional Resource Pressure

The Northwest Coordination Center (NWCC) is managing resources at an elevated preparedness level. Multiple Type 1 and Type 2 Incident Management Teams are currently committed to Pacific Northwest incidents, including NW Team 12 on the Salmon and Olive Butte fires. The concentration of large fires across Oregon and Washington is creating competition for aviation resources, hand crews, dozers, and engines that normally would be available for mutual aid.

West Coast structural firefighting task forces have been mobilized to support Oregon fires under Emergency Conflagration Act declarations, drawing engine strike teams from California and other Pacific states to assist with structure protection on fires where the Oregon State Fire Marshal has invoked the act.

Firefighter Safety

With 1,451 personnel assigned to the Salmon and Olive Butte fires alone, and hundreds more on each of the other large incidents across the region, thousands of wildland firefighters are working in arduous and dangerous conditions. Fire managers have emphasized that firefighter safety is the paramount priority on all current incidents, particularly given the extreme fire behavior being observed — including running fire, long-range spotting, and erratic wind-driven runs.

Residents and bystanders are reminded to stay well clear of active fire areas, to follow all road closures, and to not interfere with firefighting operations. Drones and other unmanned aircraft are prohibited near active fire areas and can ground aerial resources, significantly hampering suppression efforts.

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