The scale of Oregon's wildfire emergency has triggered a significant mobilization of military, federal, and state firefighting resources, with C-130 military airtankers now operating out of Klamath Falls and Governor Tina Kotek invoking the state's Emergency Conflagration Act for the fifth time this fire season.
MAFFS Military Airtankers at Klamath Falls
Two Modular Airborne Fire Fighting System (MAFFS) C-130 airtankers and support personnel from the 302nd Airlift Wing, an Air Force Reserve unit based at Peterson Space Force Base in Colorado, have been deployed to Klamath Falls, Oregon. The MAFFS system converts military C-130 cargo aircraft into effective aerial firefighting platforms capable of dropping up to 3,000 gallons of water or fire retardant per pass.
The deployment of military airtankers is reserved for periods of exceptional demand, when the commercial airtanker fleet is fully committed and additional aerial capacity is needed. The aircraft will support fire suppression operations across Oregon, focusing on the highest-priority incidents where structures and communities are most at risk.
Nationally, additional MAFFS C-130 units have also been deployed: one from the 153rd Airlift Wing of the Wyoming Air National Guard to San Bernardino, California, and one from the 146th Airlift Wing of the California Air National Guard to Santa Maria, California.
Oregon Emergency Conflagration Act Invoked
Governor Kotek invoked the Emergency Conflagration Act, a powerful state emergency tool that directs Oregon state agencies and the Oregon National Guard to share personnel, equipment, and resources with local fire departments and incident management teams. The act has now been invoked five times in 2026 — an unprecedented frequency that reflects the extraordinary demands of the current fire season.
The Conflagration Act declaration enabled the mobilization of more than 800 additional personnel to Oregon's active fire fronts in the past week. Out-of-state task forces from California and Washington have also been brought in under existing mutual aid agreements to help fill gaps in the state's stretched resources.
Incident Management Teams Deployed
Oregon has deployed multiple Incident Management Teams to its highest-priority fires. Northwest Team 2, Northwest Team 10, and ODF CIMT 2 are among the teams currently managing major incidents. Each IMT brings specialized expertise in operational tactics, logistics, planning, finance, and aviation coordination.
The state reports that it has deployed its last available Incident Management Team, meaning any new major fire starts will either require requesting out-of-state teams through national coordination or expanding assignments for teams already committed.
The Broader National Picture
Nationwide, 21,171 firefighters and support personnel are currently engaged, supported by 478 crews, 1,161 engines, and 128 helicopters. The National Preparedness Level has been at its maximum — Level 5 — since July 18, meaning federal firefighting resources are being triaged to the incidents where they are most critically needed. At NPL 5, the national coordination system operates at maximum efficiency and urgency, with resource requests evaluated against competing national needs.
Fire managers and logistics specialists stress that even with all available resources committed, the scale of this year's fire season means some fires will not receive the immediate support they might in a less active year.