A crew of 20 firefighters from Pennsylvania is heading west to join the battle against massive wildfires burning across Washington state.
Officials held a send-off ceremony for the crew at the Penn Harris Hotel in Camp Hill before the firefighters departed for their multi-week deployment. The team, composed of trained personnel from state agencies and local departments across the Commonwealth, was mobilized to support overwhelmed local and regional responders out West.
Upon arrival, the crew is slated to be assigned to the Sinlahekin Fire in northern Washington’s Okanogan County. The fire has burned over 160,000 acres, driven by dry conditions and high winds that have kept dozens of major blazes burning across the Pacific Northwest. Over 50,000 residents in the region currently remain under evacuation orders or warnings.
The crew will focus on active suppression, building containment lines, and protecting structures in affected communities. Firefighters are slated for a standard 14-day operational tour, not including travel days, working long shifts in rugged, dry terrain.
“It’s a very rewarding job,” said Cody Crouse, a fire forester with Buchanan State Forest participating in the deployment. “You get to see different things, help protect people’s homes. They’re very thankful and appreciative when you’re out there.”
State forestry officials assured residents that despite sending personnel across the country, local fire suppression and emergency response capabilities across Pennsylvania remain fully staffed and operational.
