Early Sunday morning a Grand Junction Fire Department Wildland Team deployed with Brush 6 to the Bennett Canyon Fire in the Black Hills National Forest, South Dakota. There are multiple fire starts reported and the crew is expected to supplement resources for an initial attack. The crew could be gone for up to two weeks. On deployments the crew can help create defensible space and protect homes from fire, create and maintain fire lines, and work on direct fire suppression.
With fire risk still high in Grand Junction, GJFD will have two wildland engines and a water tender available locally should a wildfire occur while the crew is gone. The knowledge and skills gained by the wildland team on deployments like this are brought back to GJFD to help the department better protect local people and property from wildfire. For more information on the Grand Junction Fire Department deployment contact the Community Outreach Office at (970)549-5800, or by e-mail at GJfirePIO@gjcity.org.