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Local firefighters travel west to Utah to battle wildfires

LOWER SWATARA TWP., Pa. — Five fire crews, including one from Pennsylvania, are on their way to Salt Lake City, Utah to help battle wildfires. The group o...

LOWER SWATARA TWP., Pa. -- Five fire crews, including one from Pennsylvania, are on their way to Salt Lake City, Utah to help battle wildfires.

The group of 100 firefighters gathered at the Lower Swatara Township Fire Department in Dauphin County before heading to the airport.

The firefighters travel across the U.S. for many reasons. One is to gain experience in other states.

Twenty of those firefighters are from Pennsylvania's Department of Conservation and Natural Resources Bureau of Forestry.

Philip Bietsch, from the Bureau of Forestry's District 1, said, "Just going out west it helps build up that leadership that's going to be needed also when we do have fires here in Pennsylvania."

Officials said there is no specific fire assigned to the crews, but there are several wildfires burning in Utah. Firefighters will be busy once they land.

"Whether it's you know actually helping clean up after the fire has gone through, or its preparing for the fire to come through," Bietsch said.

They travel out west because many other states' resources there are stretched thin.

Levi Gelnett, a wildfire prevention specialist  for the Bureau of Forestry, said, "They only have so many people that can go to these fires and then they get so big they don't have enough to staff everything they need. So it's important that other states be able to send crews out to give them a hand."

While the firefighters are happy to help, it can be hard on their families back in Pennsylvania.

Bietsch said, "I have a 3 year old and a wife, and you know saying goodbye to them for a couple weeks to go out and do this, it's tough. But you know in the end it's worth it."

They said another thing that makes the journey worth it is the people who are thankful for their services.

Gelnett said, "The appreciation that they show us when we're out there defending their homes, it's phenomenal. It makes you feel really good about what you're doing."

Those firefighters will be returning in about two weeks.

 

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