Over 123,000 acres of Montana wilderness has burned in recent forest fires. In response, the Mississippi Forestry Commission (MFC) has deployed a twenty-person Type-2 Initial Attack (IA) crew to assist state and federal partners with wildfire suppression efforts in Montana.
“We are extremely proud of our employees who are taking part in these efforts and helping our state and federal partners out West. Fighting the destructive power of wildfire means that our guys are out there in extreme conditions protecting people’s lives, homes, and natural resources” said Charlie Morgan, State Forester. “We wish them a safe trip and look forward to their return home in approximately two weeks.”
IA crews serve on the front line of wildland firefighting. The individuals on the Mississippi State 1 team are trained in wildland firefighting tactics and work together to help contain wildfires by constructing a fireline. A fireline is a strip of land cleared of flammable materials and dug down to the mineral soil around the wildfire. IA crews also burn out fire areas and mop up after the wildfire has been contained.
