Watch CBS News

4 Military Air Tankers Moving From Colorado To Arizona

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (AP) - Four military firefighting planes are being moved to Arizona from Colorado.

The National Interagency Fire Center says all four C-130s will be stationed at Phoenix-Mesa Gateway Airport by Wednesday and ready to drop slurry on fires.

The planes were mobilized last month to fight fires in southern Colorado, including one that destroyed over 500 homes and killed two people, because all the U.S. Forest Service's tankers were in use.

There are a total of eight C-130s equipped with a large device called the Modular Airborne Fire Fighting System, or MAFFS, that can deploy up to 3,000 gallons of fire retardant or water at a time.

The other planes are operated by Air National Guard units in North Carolina and Wyoming. Fire managers say they can be called on if needed.

Wildfire Resources

- Visit CBSDenver.com's Wildfire Resources section.

- Read recent Wildfire stories.

Wildfire Photo Galleries

- See images from the most destructive wildfires (Black Forest, Waldo Canyon, High Park and Fourmile) and largest wildfire (Hayman) in Colorado history.

(© Copyright 2013 The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.)

View CBS News In
CBS News App Open
Chrome Safari Continue
Be the first to know
Get browser notifications for breaking news, live events, and exclusive reporting.