With the nation at its highest fire preparedness level and the Pacific Northwest serving as the most active fire geography in the country, military airtankers have been deployed to Oregon to bolster aerial firefighting capabilities during a critical stretch of the 2026 fire season.

MAFFS Deployment to Klamath Falls

Two Modular Airborne FireFighting System (MAFFS)-equipped C-130 Hercules aircraft from the 302nd Airlift Wing of the Colorado Air National Guard have been deployed to the Kingsley Field Air National Guard Base in Klamath Falls, Oregon. The aircraft are accompanied by approximately 20 Airmen, including aircrews, maintenance personnel, and support staff.

The MAFFS units convert military C-130 cargo aircraft into airtankers capable of delivering up to 3,000 gallons of fire retardant or water per pass. They are activated by the U.S. Forest Service when commercial and agency airtanker fleets are at or near capacity — a threshold that has clearly been met given the scale of current fire activity.

Additional MAFFS Assets Nationally

The Oregon deployment is part of a broader national MAFFS activation. One C-130 airtanker from the 153rd Airlift Wing (Wyoming Air National Guard) has been deployed to San Bernardino, California, and one aircraft from the 146th Airlift Wing (California Air National Guard) has been deployed to Santa Maria, California. Together, these activations reflect the extreme demand for aerial firefighting resources across the West.

National Preparedness Level 5: What It Means

The National Multiagency Coordinating Group (NMAC) — composed of wildland fire representatives from each federal agency at NIFC — elevated the nation to Preparedness Level 5 this week. This is the highest possible level and indicates maximum resource mobilization and readiness across the entire national firefighting system.

According to NIFC, factors considered when setting the preparedness level include:

  • Number of Incident Management Teams committed
  • Total number of firefighting resources deployed
  • How many large fires are actively burning
  • How many geographic areas are experiencing simultaneous fire activity
  • Time of year and unusual circumstances

The ten-year average preparedness level for July is PL3, making this a significantly elevated fire season.

Current Resource Commitment

As of July 18, 2026, NIFC reports that 17,683 firefighters and support personnel are engaged in nationwide fire activity, including:

  • 374 crews
  • 1,081 engines
  • 139 helicopters

The Northwest Geographic Area is consuming a large share of these national resources, particularly Incident Management Teams and aviation assets. Fire managers say competition for Type 1 and Type 2 IMTs is acute, with multiple complex fires in the Northwest simultaneously requiring professional management teams.

Year-to-Date Fire Statistics

Through July 18, 2026, the U.S. has recorded 40,357 fires burning 3,853,513 acres — significantly ahead of the 2025 pace of 38,430 fires and 2,834,436 acres over the same period, and more than double the 2023 acreage of just under 800,000 acres.