With peak fire season on the horizon, officials recently announced the state’s second C-130 Hercules (C-130H) airtanker is now ready for firefighting operations.

This strengthens California’s ability to protect communities from catastrophic wildfire, adding to the largest aerial firefighting fleet in the world.

Last year, California became the first state in the nation to own, operate, and deploy a C-130H airtanker for wildfire suppression. The first C-130H was a critical part of the state’s firefight in Los Angeles earlier this year. Since it went into operation, the tanker has flown 90 missions responding to 36 fires and dropping 253,702 gallons of retardant.

Tanker 121, a former United States Coast Guard aircraft, has been officially placed into CAL FIRE service after undergoing precise and critical modifications. This is the second of seven planned C-130H airtankers, and is a mission-critical asset in an era of increased year-round wildfire frequency and intensity.

These large-capacity, highly specialized aircraft deliver significant volumes of fire retardant in a single mission, enhancing CAL FIRE’s ability to protect communities and natural resources.

Governor Gavin Newsom — in partnership with U.S. Senator Alex Padilla, the late U.S. Senator Dianne Feinstein, and Representative Ken Calvert — spearheaded this initiative for California to take on ownership of these aircraft, speed up the time to have them flying firefighting operations in California, and expand CAL FIRE’s firefighting capabilities.

The Governor also received a demonstration of CAL FIRE’s new C-130H simulator – the only one of its kind in the nation owned by a fire department. The simulator helps train pilots and engineers specifically for C-130 firefighting missions.

The journey to integrate the C-130H aircraft into CAL FIRE’s fleet began in 2018 when California secured approval to acquire seven of these aircraft from the Coast Guard. President Joe Biden signed legislation in late 2023, officially transferring ownership of the seven C-130H aircraft to the state, where CAL FIRE would complete the work of retrofitting the aircraft for wildfire suppression operations.

“The completed transfer of federal C-130 airtankers to CAL FIRE is equipping California’s firefighters with significantly expanded capabilities to protect vulnerable communities from wildfires and save lives,” said Senator Padilla. “Pushing the Air Force to complete this transfer has been a top priority of mine since I joined the Senate, which is why I worked to pass legislation to get it done as quickly as possible. As we saw with the first retrofitted aircraft fighting the Los Angeles fires, these powerful planes will enable California to respond to wildfires more quickly and effectively as we face more extreme conditions and increasingly devastating disasters.”

CAL FIRE’s C-130 program involved substantial contributions from multiple partners. The United States Air Force and the United States Coast Guard provided support in maintaining these aircraft, including the replacement of inner and outer wing boxes and essential spare parts. Following their arrival at CAL FIRE Aviation Headquarters, the aircraft underwent extensive modifications, including the installation of a 4,000-gallon tank and a sophisticated retardant delivery system (RDS).

“Placing the second C-130H airtanker into service is another milestone in ensuring Californians are protected from the growing threat of wildfire,” said CAL FIRE Director and Fire Chief Joe Tyler. “This addition strengthens our aerial firefighting capabilities and demonstrates our continued commitment to safeguarding lives, property, and natural resources across the state.”

Even before this, California had built up the largest aerial firefighting fleet in the world, including the recently added – and night-time capable – firefighting Fire Hawk helicopters. These new C-130Hs will be strategically located throughout the state at CAL FIRE bases to mobilize when needed, adding to the helicopters, other aircraft, and firefighters. This follows California’s leadership in utilizing innovation and technology to fight fires smarter, leveraging artificial intelligence (AI), satellites, and more for wildfire detection, projection, and suppression.