National Guard Drops Fire Retardant on Thomas Fire in Santa Barbara Hills

Pilots from the US National Guard joined efforts to tackle the ongoing Thomas wildfire in California on Wednesday, December 13.This video was shared on the National Guard’s official Facebook page. It shows a MAFFS-equipped C-130J plane, from the California National Guard’s 146th Airlift Wing, dropping a line of Phos-Chek fire retardant on the Santa Barbara hills.The California National Guard were deployed to support the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection and other state agencies responding to the wildfires, according to the US Department of Defense.On December 18, fire crews said they hoped they could contain the fire from spreading to the city of Montecito, according to Southern Californian news station KPCC. Notable US celebrities living in the city include talk show hosts Ellen DeGeneres and Oprah Winfrey.The fire had burned up about 259,000 acres, according to Newsweek, making it the third-largest wildfire in California’s history. Credit: Facebook/US National Guard via Storyful