▁active , ▁the ▁U . S . ▁Air ▁Force ▁Reserve ▁reports . ▁ ▁Aer ial ▁Fire f ight ing ▁ ▁In ▁the ▁early ▁ 1 9 7 0 s ▁Congress ▁created ▁the ▁Mod ular ▁Air bor ne ▁Fire F ight ing ▁System ▁( MA FF S ) ▁which ▁is ▁a ▁joint ▁operation ▁between ▁The ▁U . S . ▁Forest ▁Service ▁who ▁supply ▁the ▁systems ▁and ▁the ▁Department ▁of ▁Def ense ▁who ▁supply ▁the ▁C - 1 3 0 ▁aircraft . ▁ ▁The ▁roll - on / roll - off ▁systems ▁allow ▁existing ▁aircraft ▁to ▁be ▁tempor arily ▁converted ▁into ▁a ▁ 3 , 0 0 0 - g all on ▁a irt ank er ▁for ▁fighting ▁wild f ires ▁when ▁demand ▁exceed s ▁the ▁supply ▁of ▁priv ately ▁contract ed ▁and ▁public ly ▁available ▁a irt ank ers . ▁ ▁In ▁the ▁late ▁ 1 9 8 0 s , ▁ 2 2 ▁retired ▁US AF ▁C - 1 3 0 As ▁were ▁removed ▁from ▁storage ▁and ▁transferred ▁to ▁the ▁U . S . ▁Forest ▁Service , ▁which ▁then ▁transferred ▁them ▁to ▁six ▁private ▁companies ▁to ▁be ▁converted ▁into ▁air ▁tank ers . ▁One ▁of ▁these ▁C - 1 3 0 s ▁crash ed ▁in ▁June ▁ 2 0 0 2 ▁while ▁operating ▁the ▁Ret ard ant ▁Aer ial ▁D elivery ▁System ▁( R AD S ) ▁near ▁Walker , ▁CA . ▁The ▁crash ▁was ▁attributed ▁to ▁wing ▁separation ▁caused ▁by ▁fat igue ▁stress ▁crack ing ▁and ▁contributed ▁to ▁the ▁ground ing ▁of