The Pentagon is joining the fight against several raging wildfires in the Los Angeles area that have killed at least two people and forced more than 100,000 others to flee their homes. 

The flames have burned more than 1,000 buildings to the ground and gutted scores of neighborhoods, wealthy and working-class alike.

Firefighters have complained about a lack of water to help them beat back the fast-moving fire, now considered the most destructive in Los Angeles history. The Navy will provide 10 helicopters and other branches will send cargo planes capable of ferrying large quantities of water to attack the conflagration, Pentagon officials said Wednesday.

“The Department of Defense will provide additional firefighting personnel and capabilities. The federal government is working closely with the National Guard, which is deployed under [California Gov. Gavin Newsom’s] state of emergency declaration,” Pentagon spokeswoman Sabrina Singh told reporters. “The president has directed this department to [provide] whatever California needs.”

President Biden ordered the U.S. military to support the firefighting efforts while he was with Gov. Newsom at a fire station in Santa Monica.

The U.S. Forest Service typically contracts with private companies for air tankers to drop fire retardants as part of wildfire suppression efforts. When there aren’t enough, the Modular Airborne Fire Fighting System can convert a standard military C-130 cargo plane into a tanker without requiring major structural modifications to the aircraft.

U.S. Northern Command will provide four MAFFS to the mission. National Guard units from California and Nevada will each provide two more. However, the record high winds that are fanning and spreading the fires are also grounding aircraft needed to attack the flames, Ms. Singh said.

“We have to work with California, and right now we can’t even get assets up in the air because the fires are so bad and because the winds are so bad,” she said. “Safety protocols have to be followed and until we can get additional air support in the air, we’re standing by and ready to support California.”

• Mike Glenn can be reached at mglenn@washingtontimes.com.