Governor Kathy Hochul today announced the safe return of 16 wildland firefighters and support staff led by New York State Department of Environmental Conservation Forest Rangers after two-week assignments in Nevada, Utah, and Wyoming. A 10-person crew made up of DEC’s Division of Lands and Forests, Office of Emergency Management, and Forest Rangers assisted with firefighting efforts on the Red Canyon fire, east of Thermopolis, Wyoming. An additional Forest Ranger and Public Information Officer were assigned to the Beulah fire in Utah. One additional Forest Ranger was assigned to the Cottonwood Peak fire in Nevada. Three Forest Rangers were assigned to the area of Helena, Montana
“For the second time this summer, we are proud to welcome home New Yorkers who offered to help when our neighbors to the west needed it,” Governor Hochul said. “While the federal government cuts critical funding for emergency responses, our expertly trained wildland firefighters and support staff made a difference in three states and brought back invaluable knowledge and experience to New York so they’re at the ready the next time a call for help comes in.”
The Red Canyon fire in Wyoming was caused by lightning. It grew to more than 100,000 acres in four days. The Beulah fire in Utah has burned more than 5,700 acres of land. The cause of the fire remains unknown. The Cottonwood Peak fire in Nevada was caused by lightning and has burned more than 132,000 acres, but it is now 81 percent contained. In Montana, there are currently 49 wildfires burning more than 21,000 acres of land
Returning Crew:
Cottonwood Peak, Nevada
Bryan Gallagher – Supply Unit Leader – Forest Ranger, Shelter Island
Beulah, Utah
Erin Hanczyk – Public Information Officer, Lake Placid
Jeremy Oldroyd – Task Force Leader – Forest Ranger, Binghamton
Red Canyon, Wyoming
Jenna Curcio – Forest Ranger, Tupper Lake
Julian Fischl – Lands and Forests, Honeoye Falls
Katherine Fox – Forest Ranger, Medusa
Nicholas Johnston – Emergency Management, Schenectady
Eric Kasza – Lands and Forests, Cherry Valley
David Nally – Forest Ranger, Northville
Art Perryman – Forest Ranger, Wevertown
Joe Pries – Forest Ranger, Holmes
Joseph Sapp – Volunteer, Niskayuna
Matthew Savarie – Forest Ranger, North Creek
Helena, Montana
Patrick Dormer – Forest Ranger, Naples
Lincoln Hanno – Forest Ranger, Boonville
Nicholas Streczywilk – Forest Ranger, Angola
New York State is continuing to assist firefighting efforts, with an additional Forest Ranger deployed to Washington as a Task Force Leader to support ongoing fire suppression efforts.
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