CONNECTICUT, USA — Nineteen members of the Connecticut Interstate Fire Crew, coordinated by the Department of Energy and Environmental Protection, were deployed to fight wildfires in Oregon, a release said Tuesday.
To assist with fires in and around Redmond, Ore., DEEP said they mobilized the CIFC in their Eastern District headquarters in Marlborough Tuesday. They were deployed as part of a call for Eastern fire crews to help fight the fires out West.
The group includes six full-time DEEP employees from the Bureau of Natural Resources, Bureau of Central Services and Bureau of Materials Management and Compliance Assurance.
Connecticut members in the group are from towns including Norwich, Quakerhill, Shelton, East Haddam, Bethany, Bloomfield, Coventry, Exeter, Griswold, Lebanon, East Otis, Cheshire, Tolland, South Windsor, Stratford and East Hartford.
There is also one member of the group from Rhode Island and another from Massachusetts, DEEP said.
According to DEEP, their Forestry Division coordinates the CIFC, including agency staff members and private individuals, many of whom are associated with local fire departments.
All members must undergo a "rigorous training program" and "participate in an annual physical work capacity test and refresher training," DEEP said.
According to sister-station KGW8 in Portland, Ore., there are almost a dozen major wildfires and multiple minor ones burning across the state. On July 12, Oregon Gov. Tina Kotek issued an emergency declaration, allowing for fire agencies to call on out-of-state support.
More information on the ongoing wildfires in the state can be found here.
The state of Connecticut participates in a reciprocal aid program by the U.S. Forest Service, which allows crews from around the nation to assist the state in the situation of a natural disaster, such as a fire emergency, and for Connecticut to return the support when it is needed, DEEP said.
In 2022, 16 members from the CIFC were called to assist with wildfires in Texas, Oregon, California, Idaho and New Mexico, DEEP's website said. More information about the group can be found here.
MORE NEWS:
---
Do you have a story idea or something on your mind you want to share? We want to hear from you! Email us at newstips@fox61.com.
---
HERE ARE MORE WAYS TO GET FOX61 NEWS
Download the FOX61 News APP
iTunes: Click here to download
Google Play: Click here to download
Stream Live on ROKU: Add the channel from the ROKU store or by searching FOX61.
Stream Live on FIRE TV: Search ‘FOX61’ and click ‘Get’ to download.
