BOSTON (WHDH) - Gov. Charlie Baker on Saturday announced that he is sending a crew of 20 Massachusetts firefighters to help battle the wildfires blazing in western Montana and northern Idaho.
The crew of firefighters consists of 14 Department of Conservation and Recreation firefighters, three Division of Fisheries and Wildlife firefighters, and three municipal firefighters from Hopkinton State Forest Headquarters. They will join 77 other crews from federal and state agencies across the United States, according to a statement released by Massachusetts DCR.
“I am grateful for the dedicated Massachusetts firefighters who are part of this mission to help residents of the Northwest,” said Gov. Baker. “Massachusetts has a long, proud history of national and international cooperation in battling wildfires, and on behalf of the entire Commonwealth, our thoughts are with those who are impacted by these fires.”
There are currently 45 uncontained fires burning in the Northern Rockies Geographic Area, totaling over 7,000 acres.
Nationally, there are 116 large active wildfires, totaling over 2.5 million acres.
“We have seen unprecedented destructive fire behavior in that area of the country due to extremely dry fuel conditions, continued higher than average temperatures, very low humidity levels,” said DCR Chief Fire Warden Dave Celino.
The crew departed Hopkinton on Saturday, beginning their journey to the northwestern part of the country. The specific fire they will be battling will be determined upon their arrival.
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