Westport Fire Department welcomes home Deputy Chief Michael Kronick from a two-week national wildfire assignment

The Westport Fire Department welcomes home Deputy Chief Michael Kronick from a two-week national wildfire assignment with the Connecticut Interstate Fire Crew (CIFC).
 
During the assignment, the crew worked to battle and contain wildfires in Minnesota and Montana. The Deputy joined 19 other firefighters who began their assignment on July 28th and arrived back on Saturday, August 14, 2021.
 
Fire Chief Robert Yost said, "I'm proud to welcome back our Deputy who epitomizes Westport's values of sacrifice and service to others. When communities and states need help, we can support our neighbors in their time of crisis battling dangerous wildfires. The experience and knowledge he gained in working a large-scale incident are invaluable to us."
 
The CIFC crew was assigned to the Delta Fire during the first week, a 67-acre fire burning on the Superior National Forest outside Ely, Minnesota. With new fires starting almost daily, the crew was dispatched with local resources to attack these fires. Next, the crew worked with a second crew from West Virginia on the Niles Creek Fire, a small 2.5-acre lightning strike fire. The crew helped cut a saw line and put a hose around the fire's edge, which successfully contained the fire.
 
The fire crew moved to Montana after Minnesota received some beneficial rain. The crew was assigned to the Trout Creek Fire outside Absarokee, Montana, during the second week. A 200-acre fire was burning in grass rangeland, threatening several subdivisions along the Stillwater River. The crew worked with local and state fire resources to help protect homes. However, the Trout Creek Fire grew to approximately 8,315 acres in a matter of hours; winds pushed flames south and eventually across the county lines, prompting pre-evacuation notifications for portions of that county. In the subsequent days, the crew was able to contain the fire by digging and cutting lines in areas only accessible on foot and working with the local fire department to mop up the remaining hot spots.
 
Connecticut residents were warned in recent days about poor air quality from the smoke from these fires and fine particles in the lower atmosphere. “Since fires are still ongoing across the west, we’ll likely see some type of resurgence throughout the summer. And it’s possible that smoky summers may become the new reality.” Chief Yost said.
 
For additional photos, visit Westport Fire Department on Facebook here.
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Submitted by Westport, CT

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