The Iowa Department of Natural Resources (DNR) Fire Program is lending its support to combat the ongoing wildfires in the western United States. As fires spread in parts of Montana and Texas, the DNR has dispatched teams of wildland firefighters to aid in containment efforts. Seven Iowa wildland firefighters have been deployed to the Bowles Creek Fire, located just east of Hamilton, Mont. The fire poses challenges due to its location in rugged, steep terrain, including a wilderness area in the Beaverhead-Deerlodge National Forest. Additionally, three wildland firefighters and the DNR’s type 6 fire engine are also actively engaged in fighting wildfires in Texas. The Iowa DNR fire staff is vigilantly monitoring daily fire behavior and new fire starts, especially in the southwest United States, where hotspots include New Mexico, Arizona, and southwest Colorado. The Iowa DNR Fire Program has sent wildland firefighters to aid in national incidents since 2006, including most of the contiguous United States and Alaska.
