Delaware Forest Service sends crews to assist with Minnesota wildfires
The Delaware Forest Service is headed west as wildfires in Minnesota have burned thousands of acres so far and crews continue to work on containing the spread.
"We're a very small agency," Stephanie Alexander, community relations officer with the Delaware Forest Service, said, "but we try to do big things."
The First State is helping the North Star State. Two crews from the DFS traveled more than 1,300 miles to assist fire crews in Minnesota working to contain wildfires sparked by lightning.
"Typically, when we get our request orders, within 24 hours," Alexander said, "they're hitting the road. We make those phone calls, they pack up, they leave their families for about 14 days."
A three-person engine crew went first, helping fight the "Bear Trap Fire" in the northeast part of Minnesota for the past week.
"Our engine crew right now is just going around and making sure that they're clearing areas, making sure there's some type of water supply around," Alexander said. "In case something does come through, it does help protect some of those buildings."
This past weekend, another crew traveled to Minnesota. The 17-person suppression module will stay out there for two weeks, but as of Monday afternoon, they are still waiting for their assignment.
"Our hand crews are a little bit different," Alexander said. "Sometimes they will be a lot closer to the initial fires. Digging some hand lines. Sometimes they're going to be at base."
While this trip is the first out-of-state for the Delaware Forest Service in 2026, they've assisted on the front lines in Colorado, California and North Carolina previously.
"These states out west, you know, they need our help," Alexander said. "They can't do it all on their own and so having that interagency relationship is fantastic."
Oftentimes, the crew is made up of part-time wildland fire employees.
"They're taking off time from their job, their family, their everyday life, so they are sacrificing that for us," Alexander said.
The team is thankful for the community support and looking to help however they can.
