Conn. fire crew heading to Montana

HARTFORD, Conn. (AP) — A team of Connecticut firefighters is heading to Montana to help the U.S. Forest Service battle a wildfire there.

The state Department of Energy and Environmental Protection says the 20 firefighters will depart early Thursday morning from the DEEP eastern district headquarters in Marlborough for flights from Bradley International Airport.

DEEP says the team includes 12 of its staff and eight private-sector firefighters. They may be deployed for up to two weeks.

They'll be working on the West Garceau fire, 15 miles east of Polson, Mont.

Connecticut maintains a roster of specially trained state and local firefighters to be available for a reciprocal wildfire aid program operated by the Forest Service.

A state fire crew went to Virginia in June.

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