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.

“With the completed transfer of federal airtankers to Cal Fire, we are equipping California’s firefighters with significant new capabilities to protect our communities and save lives,” said Senator Alex Padilla (D-CA). “Since entering the Senate, I’ve made pushing the Air Force to complete this transfer a top priority, and I passed legislation to get it done as quickly as possible. Now, California will be able to respond to wildfires more quickly and effectively as we face drier conditions and increasingly devastating fires.”

The journey to bring C-130H aircraft into service as CAL FIRE airtankers began in 2018 when California secured approval to acquire seven from the United States Coast Guard. After lengthy delays, Congress passed the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) on December 14, 2023, enabling the transfer of aircraft from the federal government to California, where CAL FIRE will instead complete the aircraft’s retrofitting.

“As wildfire frequency and severity increase across California, the introduction of this aircraft will undoubtedly play a crucial role in helping us achieve our initial attack goals, particularly in our efforts to keep 95% of fires at 10 acres or less,” said CAL FIRE Chief Joe Tyler.

The United States Air Force and the United States Coast Guard played a crucial role in maintaining these aircraft, including the replacement of the inner and outer wing boxes and providing essential spare parts. Once at CAL FIRE’s Aviation Management Unit, the aircraft underwent significant modifications, including the installation of a 4,000-gallon tank and a specialized retardant delivery system (RDS).

Even before this, California had built up the largest aerial firefighting fleet in the world. 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 ready to protect Californians. This follows California’s leadership in utilizing innovation and technology to fight fires smarter, leveraging artificial intelligence (AI), satellites, and more.