The Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection (DEEP) today announced that members of Connecticut’s fire crew will be returning home later this afternoon. The twenty member crew, two DEEP employees, 16 private-sector firefighters, along with two firefighters from New Hampshire, left Connecticut on July 27, and have been working in Colorado on the Buttermilk and Green Mountain fires. The two fires total approximately 800 acres.

The crews are anticipated to arrive at DEEP Eastern District Headquarters, 209 Hebron Road, Marlborough, at approximately 4:30 p.m.

DEEP maintains a roster of agency staff members and personnel from local fire departments who have been certified to fight forest or wildfires. Crew members must complete a rigorous training program and participate in an annual renewal course.

Connecticut maintains this firefighting capability to participate in a reciprocal aid program operated by the U.S. Forest Service. Under this program, trained personnel from other parts of the nation are available to assist Connecticut in the event of a fire emergency or other natural disaster in return for the support of Connecticut personnel when needed.

CT DEEP Members of Connecticut Fire Crew:
Batchelor, Timothy  -  Putnam, CT
Krukar, Geoffrey  -  Torrington, CT

Other Connecticut Members:
Arnold, Ben  -  Pomfret Center, CT
Flamio, Anthony  -  Farmington, CT
Kronick, Michael  -  Trumbull, CT
Olenick, Alan  -  Lebanon, CT
Liguori, Sergio  -  New Milford, CT
Ramotowski, Andrzej  -  Enfield, CT
Rossiter, Brian  -  Groton, MA
Kilburn, James  -  Hampton, CT
Bryan, James  -  Voluntown, CT
Wnuk, Derek  -  East Berlin, CT
Shafer, Emily  -  Madison, CT
Kloc, John  -  Middletown, CT
Di Saia, Andrew  -  Sterling, CT
Kowalsky, Richard  -  Glastonbury, CT
Elbe, Konnor  -  Marlborough, CT
Caulfield, Ryan  -  Naugatuck, CT

Other Assisting Firefighters
Smith Jr., David   -  State of New Hampshire
Klemarczyk, Ronald  -  State of New Hampshire