On August 2, a third 20-person wildfire crew from DCNR’s Bureau of Forestry will leave from Moshannon State Forest headquarters in Clearfield County Sunday, this time to preposition in the Rocky Mountain Wildfire Coordination Area in the Colorado region.
Prepositioning means they could be used for initial attack of new wildfire starts in the area, or they could be reassigned to a larger fire, if necessary.
The first 20-person crew was called to fight wildfires in Colorado and Wyoming on July 16. Read more here. The second crew was called to fight wildfires in California. Read more here.
Pennsylvania now has a total of 60 men and women fighting wildfires in the western United States.
Last year DCNR was called to send two 20-person crews, two wildfire fighting vehicles, 20 individuals as single resources for a total of 74 personnel.
When states and agencies need assistance, Pennsylvania wildland firefighters may be called upon, by virtue of mutual assistance agreements, to assist.
Pennsylvania firefighters are trained and qualified under national wildland standards to function either as a member of an organized incident management team or as a member of a wildland crew.
Firefighters are required to carry their own tent and sleeping bag to fire camp. In order to be assigned to the fire, firefighters must be equipped with flame resistant clothing (such as Nomex), leather lug-soled boots, hardhat, leather gloves, eye protection and a fire shelter before being allowed to work on the fire-line.
For more on wildfires in Pennsylvania, visit DCNR’s Wildfire webpage.
NewsClips:
[Posted: August 2, 2020] PA Environment Digest
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