Press Releases
08/28/2026
MEDIA ADVISORY: DEEP to Welcome Local Firefighters Returning from Fighting Minnesota Wildfires
(HARTFORD)—On Friday, August 28, the Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection (DEEP)’s Forestry Division will welcome back a 10-person wildland firefighting crew that has been assisting with wildfire suppression efforts on the Bear Trap fire in northeastern Minnesota. The crew departed from DEEP’s Eastern District Headquarters (EDHQ) in Marlborough on August 11th, 2026, and will return there on Friday, August 28, 2026. An additional engine crew of 4 returned to Connecticut on Saturday, August 22, 2026. Four additional crew members were deployed on Friday, August 21st, to replace this engine crew.
The wildland firefighters are members of the Connecticut Interstate Fire Crew (CIFC), as part of a multi-state agreement under the Northeastern Forest Fire Compact. Crew members include a mix of full-time DEEP staff and trained “call-when-needed” wildland firefighters who are certified to national wildland firefighting standards.
To date, CIFC has deployed 43 firefighters to support national and international wildfire efforts this summer. The CIFC crews deployed this summer include:
- July 10: 20-person, Oregon
- July 15: 6-person, Quebec
- July 27: 4-person, Minnesota
- August 8: 4-person, Minnesota
- August 11: 10-person, Minnesota
- August 21: 3-person, Minnesota
The 10-person crew will be driving back to DEEP’s Eastern District Headquarters (EDHQ) in Marlborough with an estimated arrival time of between 4-4:30 pm.
The media are invited to EDHQ as crew members arrive to demobilize. DEEP staff will help coordinate interviews with members who are willing to speak with the media.
Who: Members of the Connecticut Interstate Fire Crew, DEEP staff
What: Firefighters demobilize from deployment to Canada wildfires
When: Friday, August 28, 2026, between 4-4:30 pm.
Where: DEEP Eastern District Headquarters, 209 Hebron Road, Marlborough, CT 06447- Twitter: @CTDEEPNews
- Facebook: DEEP on Facebook
Contact
DEEP Communications
DEEP.Communications@ct.gov
860-424-4100