Minnesota sent three fire crews to New Mexico

Minnesota sent three fire crews to New Mexico to help battle wildfires this week. The crews have 20 members each. Minnesota also sent 14 crew-carrier trucks.

Crew members met up with two crews from Michigan's Upper Peninsula at the Duluth airport and flew to New Mexico on Thursday morning.

The Minnesota wildfire fighters include members of the state Department of Natural Resources; the U.S. Forest Service; the U.S. Bureau of Indian Affairs and agencies from Bois Forte, Grand Portage, Fond du Lac and Leech Lake; the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service; and Voyageurs National Park.

The crews will serve up to two weeks in New Mexico. They were assigned to specific fires when they arrived at the Albuquerque mobilization center.

According to a Gunflint District spokesperson, between 15 and 20 firefighters from the Superior National Forest have been deployed to other fires since mid-April. They’ve been sent to fires in Georgia, Texas, Florida as well as Arizona and New Mexico.