Located on the former grounds of Norton Air Force Base, San Bernardino International Airport, to the east of Los Angeles, is now home to the U.S. Forest Service Tanker.
The Airtanker base is the backbone of aviation-based firefighting in Southern California and it provides support for fixed and rotary wing aircraft during the wildfire season.
During the still burning Silverado Wildfire, Shorealone Films photographer Matt Hartman was able to photograph the amazing aerial firefighting aircraft used to fight the flames during their early-morning ground operations. The planes deployed for fire-fighting missions shortly after each photo was taken.
Two DC-10s, (Tanker 911 and Tanker 912) a BAE 146-200, a C-130Q, two Lockheed P-2 Neptunes, and a Rockwell Turbo Commander 690 “AirBoss” command-and-control aircraft were ready to be dispatched from the base.
SEE ALSO: Here's an incredible photo of a plane fighting a California wildfire