Delaware firefighters battle more forest fires out west

It’s been a busy summer for a team of Delaware volunteer firefighters.

The 19-person crew from the Delaware Forest Service arrived in Utah more than a week ago to help contain a 31,000 acre Patch Springs forest fire.

The Delaware team assisted more than 300 other firefighters with burn-out operations, line prep and patrolling. The forest fire is now listed at 71 percent contained and the crew is moving on to another fire out west.

The Delaware crew was scheduled to begin working today on the Coin Mountain fire in the Payette National Forest near McCall, Idaho. According to the Delaware Forest Service, fire officials are concerned about the potential of that fire because of dry fuels in Big Creek.

Last month the Delaware team spent two weeks battling an 85,000-acre fire in Alaska.

The National Interagency Fire Center has raised the national preparedness level to a five for the first time since 2008.

According to the NIFA website, a level five means: “Geographic areas are experiencing major incidents which have the potential to exhaust all agency fire resources. 80 percent of Type 1 and 2 IMTs [incident management teams] and crews are committed, as well as the majority of other national resources.”