A team of firefighters with Connecticut’s Department of Energy and Environmental Protection is helping with wildfire suppression efforts in Canada, amid poor air quality alerts that blanketed much of the state in thick haze this week.
Officials with the DEEP’s forestry division said they mobilized a six-person firefighting crew to assist with wildfire suppression efforts in Quebec, Canada. The firefighters are all part of the Connecticut Interstate Fire Crew and will join firefighters from Maine and New Hampshire as part of an interagency crew under the Northeastern Forest Fire Protection Compact.
The crew departed from DEEP’s Eastern District Headquarters in Marlborough on July 17, officials said.
The deployment marked the second time firefighters with the CIFC have left the state to fight wildfires this season. The first crew, 19 from CIFC and one from Rhode Island, are currently helping with efforts at the Salmon wildfire in Oregon. That crew for Oregon deployed on July 10, for Oregon.
The smoky skies in Connecticut this week were caused by fires in Ontario and Minnesota. DEEP said the crew is not traveling to those locations. However, the crew’s efforts are vital to reducing the overall impact of Canadian wildfires, as the strain on wildfire-fighting resources is contributing to larger, longer-lasting fires.
Crew members include a mix of full-time DEEP staff and trained “call-when-needed” wildland firefighters who are certified to national wildland firefighting standards. All crew members volunteer for these assignments and have received training in wildfire suppression tactics, safety, and incident command.
“We are happy to assist our international neighbors in their time of need. Given the recent poor air quality in Connecticut, which is directly a result of Canadian wildfires, this deployment in particular is a reminder of the regional impact these wildfires can have,” said DEEP acting commissioner Emma Cimino. “We are grateful to every firefighter who volunteered for this assignment, and we wish them a safe and successful deployment in Quebec.”
DEEP’s forestry division also coordinates with the Connecticut Interstate Fire Crew, officials said. The CIFC maintains a roster of DEEP firefighting staff members and private firefighters, many of whom are associated with local fire departments and have been certified to fight wildfires. Crew members must complete a rigorous training program and participate in an annual physical work capacity test and wildfire refresher training, according to officials. Members can volunteer to be deployed where needed each wildfire season.
Stephen Underwood can be reached at sunderwood@courant.com.