MARLBOROUGH, Conn. (AP) – A group of Connecticut firefighters arrived home Saturday after two weeks of fighting blazes in Oregon.

The 20-member crew assembled by Department of Environmental Protection left on July 27 in response to a request from the U.S. Forest Service. The state firefighters are made up of DEP members and personnel from local fire departments who have been certified to fight forest fires.

They assisted in battling lightning-sparked fires in central and eastern Oregon.

Connecticut participates in a reciprocal aid program operated by the federal forest service. Under this program, trained personnel from other parts of the nation are available to assist Connecticut if there is a fire emergency in return for personnel from this state being available to assist elsewhere.