A group of Massachusetts wildland firefighters left Saturday morning for Northern Minnesota to help battle blazes that have contributed to poor air quality and eerie-looking skies in Boston.
The 10-person crew of local firefighters will work “directly on the front lines” of the wildfires for roughly two weeks doing “critical tasks” like building fire breaks, containing fires, and protecting structures, according to the Massachusetts Department of Conservation and Recreation.
Karyn Lothrop, a district fire warden for DCR out of Norfolk County, said the crew plans to drive roughly 22 hours to Ely, Minn., where they’ll be based during the deployment. Lothrop, who has joined past out-of-state firefighting trips, said the crew is in for “very arduous” work.
“We’re talking about 16-hour days,” Lothrop said. “They may be able to drive to a certain point and then hike out to their assignment. And then they could walk upwards of 14 miles carrying packs that weigh close to 40 pounds and bringing in all the equipment they need to do the work and … bringing everything like water and food with them.”
Multiple wildfires are burning in Minnesota near the Canadian border, with some blazes crossing the border and stretching well into the Ontario region of Canada.
A storm system moved into Northern Minnesota on the evening of July 6 with thunder and lightning and little precipitation, federal officials have said. The following day, several wildfires were reported, according to the US Forest Service.
The wildfires in Minnesota include the Fort Frances 13 fire, which has crossed the border into Canada and is among a series of fires that cover nearly 2 million acres, according to DCR.
Smoke from these wildfires drifted into Massachusetts in recent weeks, including when historical sailing ships berthed in Boston Harbor, changing the color of the sky and reducing air quality to levels that are unhealthy for people with asthma, lung or heart disease, and older adults, DCR officials said.
Massachusetts firefighters have long been deployed to other states to help battle blazes, including in Montana, Idaho, California, Oregon, and Arizona. A 20-person contingent of firefighters traveled to Fairbanks, Alaska, in 2025 for a two-week deployment.
Officials at DCR say the trips give local firefighters the chance to learn new techniques and build expertise that they can bring back to address future fires at home.
Lothrop said the group heading to Minnesota includes two new crew members who will learn everything from administrative tasks to battling blazes.
“They’re going to learn a lot about the hazards we see when we have really aggressive wildfires. The fires in Minnesota were started from lightning a couple of weeks ago, and they ended up being wind-driven,” Lothrop said. “They’re going to see where fire went right up into the upper trees and moved across the Boundary Waters, which is going to be really impressive for them.”
Nicole LaChapelle, commissioner of the Department of Conservation and Recreation, said wildland firefighters in Massachusetts “are among the best in the country, and time and again they’ve answered the call to help communities facing some of the most challenging fire conditions.”
“Whether they’re protecting people and natural resources here in Massachusetts or deploying across the country and continent, they bring extraordinary skill, professionalism, and commitment to every assignment,” LaChapell said in a statement.
Chris Van Buskirk can be reached at chris.vanb@globe.com. Follow him on X @byChrisVan
