Aug. 13—Gov. Kathy Hochul announced Friday, Aug. 9 the safe return of 21 wildland firefighters led by state Department of Environmental Conservation forest rangers after two-week assignments in Montana and Oregon.
A 20-person crew assisted with firefighting efforts at the Grouse Fire in Montana. An additional forest ranger was assigned with the Eastern Area Incident Management Team to assist firefighting efforts at the Red Fire in Oregon.
“When other states request help from New York, we’re always ready to lend a hand,” Hochul said in a statement. “Thanks to the expertise of our DEC forest rangers and wildland firefighters, we were able to contribute to suppression efforts in two states. I’m thankful for those willing to travel far from home to help strangers in need and very happy to welcome them back safely.”
Returning Crew included:
* Michael Burkholder, Forest Ranger, Norwich
* Joshua Choquette, Fish and Wildlife, Bovina Center
* Eric Kasza, Lands and Forests, Cherry Valley
* Daniel Welc, Lands and Forests, Sherburne
Burkholder served as a facilities unit leader at the Red Fire, which burned nearly 500 acres on the Deschutes National Forest since it started on July 17 after a lightning strike. Burkholder conducted facility inspections and supported a large camp for more than 250 firefighters and support staff, the release stated.
“I thank our dedicated and expertly trained DEC employees from multiple divisions for answering the call from our sister states Montana and Oregon,” DEC Interim Commissioner Sean Mahar said. “Not only did these wildland firefighters provide an invaluable service, but they are also coming back with new firefighting knowledge that will help keep New Yorkers safe in the event of wildfires back here at home.”
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