Guardsmen fighting California fires Published July 23, 2004 CHANNEL ISLANDS AIR NATIONAL GUARD STATION, Calif. (AFPN) -- Air National Guard crews from the 146th Airlift Wing here are helping battle wildfires raging on the West Coast.Crews have been fighting fires in California during July, most recently against the Crown Fire near Santa Clarita. Forty-five ANG people and two specially equipped C-130 Hercules aircraft are involved in the operation.The C-130s carry a special firefighting system that crews use to release liquid fire retardant. So far this year, 54 missions have been flown against three separate fires dropping nearly 130,000 gallons of fire retardant.“It’s part of our dual mission -- serving in the defense of our country and serving the people of California,” said Lt. Col. Scott Adams, mission commander. “It’s a dangerous mission; one that requires a great deal of skill, but also one that is very rewarding when the crews know they are helping not only the citizens of California, but in many cases, their very own neighbors.”In aerial firefighting, the crew flies the C-130 about 150 feet above the terrain, barely faster than stall speed. At the designated drop zone, the crew releases the orange slurry fire retardant which disperses in a fine mist and coats the foliage below. The slurry can cover an area 1,500 feet long by 100 feet wide. This concept assists ground crews by providing a line of containment preventing the fire from spreading. The retardant breaks down within days and becomes a growth-promoting fertilizer.The 146th AW is one of four Guard and Air Force Reserve units nationwide that are equipped with the firefighting system. Since its inception in 1974, these units have flown more than 5,000 missions against wildfires.