WEBVTT 00:00.370 --> 00:02.240 - [Nicole] The 146th Airlift Wing 00:02.240 --> 00:05.090 was activated last weekend to assist Cal Fire 00:05.090 --> 00:08.030 and civilian agencies to help contain the Woolsey Fire, 00:08.030 --> 00:09.960 which flared up on Tuesday. 00:09.960 --> 00:12.000 Luckily, the winds died down enough to launch 00:12.000 --> 00:14.200 one of their MAFFS-equipped C-130s, 00:14.200 --> 00:17.500 to drop 12,000 gallons of retardant over the canyon 00:17.500 --> 00:20.113 behind Point Mugu Naval Air and Weapons Station. 00:22.527 --> 00:25.760 - We're currently working on suppression 00:25.760 --> 00:28.380 of the shoulders of the fire, 00:28.380 --> 00:31.820 so it's the areas of the fire that are up on the hills 00:31.820 --> 00:34.640 with very limited access and we're using our air assets 00:34.640 --> 00:38.110 to take action on those. 00:38.110 --> 00:40.080 So due to the continuing red flag conditions 00:40.080 --> 00:43.070 that we're having with lower humidity and the high winds, 00:43.070 --> 00:45.760 we're going to be maintaining aerial assets 00:45.760 --> 00:48.510 on this fire for at least the next week. 00:48.510 --> 00:51.730 As of this time, we've done 10 sorties or 10 loads 00:51.730 --> 00:53.490 with the Cal Fire air craft 00:53.490 --> 00:56.020 and three loads with the MAFFS unit 00:56.020 --> 00:59.160 on the Air National Guard C-130. 00:59.160 --> 01:00.740 So, you'll in this activity, 01:00.740 --> 01:03.509 we will have a big loom up of smoke and activity, 01:03.509 --> 01:05.320 and then it will lie back down. 01:05.320 --> 01:07.180 And so, depending on what the winds 01:07.180 --> 01:10.192 and topographical features are, 01:10.192 --> 01:11.990 this could be, now this could 01:11.990 --> 01:14.310 go on for the next couple days, 01:14.310 --> 01:16.920 until we can get adequate forces up there 01:16.920 --> 01:18.890 to basically remove the fuel, 01:18.890 --> 01:20.570 or let it burn down to an area 01:20.570 --> 01:22.520 where we can attack it from the ground. 01:23.580 --> 01:25.885 - So, currently on the Woolsey fire, 01:25.885 --> 01:30.260 we have numerous, numerous local government 01:30.260 --> 01:33.770 state and federal assets from the civilian side 01:33.770 --> 01:37.320 in cooperation, doing fire suppression. 01:37.320 --> 01:39.620 Due to the size and complexity of the fire, 01:39.620 --> 01:40.750 and also with the addition 01:40.750 --> 01:43.320 of the fires in Northern California, 01:43.320 --> 01:45.860 we have activated the military assets, 01:45.860 --> 01:47.300 also, to give us assistance. 01:47.300 --> 01:50.040 And part of that activation is, the MAFFS, 01:50.040 --> 01:52.760 or the Modular Airborne FireFighting Systems here, 01:52.760 --> 01:54.413 that are at Channel Islands. 01:56.210 --> 01:59.240 - [Pilot] They're dropping Phos-Chek, which is a retardant, 01:59.240 --> 02:01.530 and they'll just drop it around the fire 02:01.530 --> 02:03.610 and they'll try and stop this from spreading 02:03.610 --> 02:05.110 to any of the homes. 02:05.110 --> 02:07.460 Things are looking a little better than they did, 02:07.460 --> 02:09.510 say, 35, 40 minutes ago, 02:09.510 --> 02:11.810 and part of it is because of the ariel attack, 02:11.810 --> 02:14.460 and part of it is because it was burning uphill, 02:14.460 --> 02:16.880 and it was terrain-driven and it had a lot of fuel, 02:16.880 --> 02:18.580 but when it gets to the top of the hill, 02:18.580 --> 02:19.940 it stalls out a little bit. 02:19.940 --> 02:21.690 And there's a pretty steep turn, 02:21.690 --> 02:24.180 and I think the drop is gonna come any moment, 02:24.180 --> 02:26.060 And you know, you almost, I don't, 02:26.060 --> 02:27.340 never get tired of watching this. 02:27.340 --> 02:29.700 It's pretty incredible stuff. 02:29.700 --> 02:32.400 The Malibu Creek is such a big hiking area, 02:32.400 --> 02:35.350 and there was that Salvation Army Camp that we flew over. 02:35.350 --> 02:37.680 It came so close to them, but they saved it, 02:37.680 --> 02:39.500 And a lot of people hike up in there. 02:39.500 --> 02:41.480 But check out that retardant drop-- 02:41.480 --> 02:42.941 - [Woman] Wow. 02:42.941 --> 02:44.975 - [Pilot] And you know, once the fire line hits that, 02:44.975 --> 02:48.253 it's gooey and it's gummy and it should've stopped. 02:48.253 --> 02:51.833 (plane engine roaring) 02:51.833 --> 02:54.790 - Situation on the fire, the fire stayed active all night 02:54.790 --> 02:57.190 in that area right there above Point Mugu 02:57.190 --> 02:58.900 that we've been watching all day yesterday 02:58.900 --> 03:00.323 in the places where you guys dropped. 03:00.323 --> 03:03.750 They're now looking at dropping 03:03.750 --> 03:06.770 more towards the oceanside, 03:06.770 --> 03:08.780 and then if we wanna do any pre-treating up there 03:08.780 --> 03:11.353 by the radar domes, and the communication stuff. 03:12.250 --> 03:13.100 - It's amazing actually. 03:13.100 --> 03:15.070 We get to help out 03:15.070 --> 03:17.830 the citizen Airmen in our own backyard. 03:17.830 --> 03:19.120 The pilot who was flying the plane, 03:19.120 --> 03:20.160 Lieutenant Colonel Alex Gupich, 03:20.160 --> 03:22.220 he grew up in Westlake Villige, right. 03:22.220 --> 03:25.790 He said he would swim in the lake we were dropping over, 03:25.790 --> 03:27.970 so it's real close to home. 03:27.970 --> 03:30.640 I grew up in New York City, but I live in West Hills now, 03:30.640 --> 03:32.530 and my house was evacuated as well, too, 03:32.530 --> 03:36.320 so I was back home the first time last night 03:36.320 --> 03:38.020 and came to work today and was proud 03:38.020 --> 03:40.253 to be fighting the fires right behind our base. 03:41.570 --> 03:44.450 - [Nicole] The Woolsey fire is now at 69% containment, 03:44.450 --> 03:46.550 according to Cal Fire officials. 03:46.550 --> 03:48.780 The reduced winds has helped both aerial 03:48.780 --> 03:52.100 and ground fire fighters to gain control of the blaze. 03:52.100 --> 03:55.080 We can expect full containment by Monday. 03:55.080 --> 03:56.930 This is Staff Sergeant Nicole Wright, 03:56.930 --> 03:59.000 with the 146th Airlift Wing, 03:59.000 --> 04:02.173 Channel Islands Air National Guard Station, California.