A Maine Forest Service ranger from Rangeley will be the mobilization crew boss for a team of wildland firefighters from Maine heading to help on a forest fire in Minnesota.
Mark Rousseau will lead a 20-person firefighting crew being sent to assist with fire suppression efforts on the Cavity Lake fire in northern Minnesota. The fire, which was started by lightning on July 14, has burned 31,830 acres in the wilderness area near Seagull Lake. The crew left Wednesday from Bangor International Airport.
The crew includes 15 civilian volunteers and four other Forest Service rangers: Mike Daigle, of St. Agatha; Lance Martin, of Portage; Matt Bennett, of Lyman; and Dustin Pickering, of Greenville.
Sending Maine Forest wildland firefighting crews to other states to fight wildfire has several advantages, according to a statement by the Forest Service Wednesday. “Not only does it allow Maine’s forest rangers to gain valuable experience on forest fires, but it also helps them apply their knowledge and leadership skills in unfamiliar terrain,” the statement said.
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