Twenty employees of the Green Mountain National Forest and Finger Lakes National Forest have returned from two weeks of fire fighting duty in Idaho.
"People may not know that their friends and neighbors, folks living here in Vermont, are going out and being part of the larger effort." -Ethan Ready
Just as power companies call in help from other utilities when major storms hit - firefighters often travel from state to state when needed.
Ethan Ready is with the US Forest Service based in Rutland.
"People may not know that their friends and neighbors, folks living here in Vermont, are going out and being part of that larger effort. And they’re people that are going out to protect not only natural resources and wildlife but people and property in those communities," says Ready
The extent and severity of this year’s wild fires have led forest officials to raise the National Wildlife Preparedness Level from a four to a five - the highest level possible.
Wildfires are still blazing in Yosemite National Park in California, though as of Tuesday they are reportedly 80 percent contained.
Ready says the fire season is by no means over and others from around the region may be called on to help if fires persist.
