California Deploys First State-Owned C-130 Air Tanker to Combat Wildfires

California has become the first state to own and operate a C-130 Hercules air tanker to fight wildfires. The first of seven retrofitted planes, it can carry 4,000 gallons of fire retardant and fly up to 800 miles. The C-130s, purchased from the Coast Guard in 2018, will be strategically stationed across Cal Fire bases, enhancing the state's wildfire response capabilities.