UH-60 Black Hawk
MGN

Two Nevada Army National Guard helicopters and crews were activated to help stop the progression of western California Wildfires on Monday.

One of Nevada's UH-60 Black Hawk helicopters deployed from the Army Aviation Support Facility in Stead headed to Sacramento Mather Airport joined by a Heavy Expanded Mobility Tactical Truck (HEMTT) to help with the suppression efforts.

They will be joined by a Nevada CH-47 Chinook helicopter on Wednesday, July 31 out of Stockton, California. 

Chinook CH-47

Nevada Guard helicopters are capable of fighting fires by bucket drops of water directly over the fire. 

This type of suppression is referred to as a "Bambi", a bucket that is suspended below the helicopter that can pick up and drop large quantities of water directly over the fire. 

A Chinook can carry up to a maximum weight of 2,000 gallons of water per drop.

A Black Hawk can carry 660 gallons per drop.

The request for these additional resources comes two weeks after Nevada Air National Guard's C-130 was activated to support the U.S Forest Service out of Channel Islands in southern California. 

C-130

The Nevada Guard's C-130 usually stationed in Reno is equipped with a USFS Modular Airborne Fire Fighting System (MAFFS) which is capable of dropping more than 3000 gallons of retardant in ten seconds across a quarter-mile line. 

Officials say the Nevada Army Guard helicopters, Air Guard C-130, aviators, and crews will continue to work towards stopping the progression of the fires around California, as directed by federal and state firefighting agencies.Â