The Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources said it’s sending firefighters to areas experiencing increased wildfire activity in the western U.S. and Canada.
DNR firefighters have been sent on 65 assignments in 2025, according to a July 29 news release. In the U.S., most of the wildfire activity is occurring in Alaska, Washington, Oregon, Idaho, Nevada, Arizona and California.
The risk for wildfires in Wisconsin has been low this summer, making it a good time for the DNR to send firefighters to different areas.
“When they have larger fires … that sucks up a lot of resources. So they bring in outside resources to build their capacity and then allow their local resources to continue what’s called initial attack,” Catherine Koele, a wildfire prevention specialist at the Wisconsin DNR said.
Sending firefighters elsewhere helps them gain outside experience on the fire line and helps with their training, Koele said. It’s also a good way for the DNR to see how other agencies work — and see strategies the DNR could adopt.
The help provided by the Wisconsin DNR also goes both ways. Koele said that some of its partners from Ontario helped in the spring with its prescribed fire program, which applies low-severity fire to the forest floor to reduce built-up vegetation, while also helping mature trees stay healthy and resilient.
The Wisconsin DNR is part of the Great Lakes Forest Fire Compact which includes Michigan and Minnesota, along with Manitoba and Ontario in Canada. It allocates personnel and fire suppression equipment through mutual aid agreements.
“It’s also good for networking and building relationships because there are times where we could need resources in the future,” Koele said.
This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Wisconsin DNR sending firefighters to help combat wildfires in western US, Canada
Reporting by Rose Androwich, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel / Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
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