Florida Forest Service Sends 46 Firefighters To Battle Montana Fires

By  //  August 31, 2015

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Florida Commissioner of Agriculture Adam H. Putnam announced today that the Florida Forest Service, a division of the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services, is sending 46 wildland firefighters to Montana as part of a five-crew firefighting unit. (BCFR Image)

FLORIDA – Florida Commissioner of Agriculture Adam H. Putnam announced today that the Florida Forest Service, a division of the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services, is sending 46 wildland firefighters to Montana as part of a five-crew firefighting unit.

Crews will work together to battle intense wildfires in Montana’s extreme and mountainous terrain.

Adam Putnam
Adam Putnam

“Florida Forest Service wildland firefighters are a brave, selfless group of public servants who are always ready to answer the call to help others. We are incredibly proud and thankful for the work these firefighters do for us here in Florida and for the people out West,” stated Commissioner Adam H. Putnam.

In addition to the latest crew deployment, there are currently more than 98 Florida Forest Service personnel assisting wildfire suppression and wildfire management operations out West.

Since April, the Florida Forest Service has provided more than 470 personnel to assist wildland firefighting and management operations in other states.

On Monday, a module of five initial-attack hand crews, comprised of Florida Forest Service wildland firefighters and firefighters from partnering agencies will travel to Montana where they will receive assignment to the highest priority wildfire.

“Thanks to Florida’s temporarily lowered fire danger levels, we have been able to continue to provide the resources for which our partners out West have had a desperate need,” said Jim Karels, Florida State Forester.

The Florida Forest Service manages more than one million acres of public forestland while protecting 26 million acres of homes, forestland and natural resources from the devastating effects of wildfire.