Crews from Colorado Springs sent to California to fight wildfires

Crews from Colorado Springs are now battling the massive wildfires in California from the air.

Two crews departed from Peterson Air Force Base on Monday in two C-130s, equipped with modular airborne firefighting systems, also known as MAFFS.

“It’s not just another mission for us. Everybody brings their A game when we come to the MAFFS mission,” Jeff Flight, a 29-year Air Force veteran said.

Flight has completed more than 150 drops, some during the Waldo Canyon fire.

He told KRDO that each plane carries 3,000 gallons of water or fire retardant.

The materials can be dropped in less than 5 seconds to cover an area 100 feet wide.

The crews will work 12-hour shifts for 10 days, after which they will be replaced with new crews from Peterson.

Flight says they plan to stay in California for as long as they’re needed.

This is the first time this year that MAFFS units have been deployed from Peterson to fight fires.