A state forest ranger from Central New York was one of seven who returned home Sunday after spending two weeks fighting the wildfires in Quebec. Those are the same fires that blanketed the state with smoke earlier this month. Chester Lunt normally works as a DEC ranger in Onondaga, Cayuga, and Cortland Counties. He says this was his fifth out-of-state mobilization in his ten-year career.
“We like going on these assignments," Lunt said. "We raise our hands because it feels good to help other people. It feels good to work hard, gives you purpose and meaning.”
Lunt says they were able to extinguish three out of the four fires in their assigned areas.
The assignment was the first for Anastasia Allwine of Greene County, and she jumped at the chance to help.
“You hear about a lot of things happening in other countries that cause concern for you, but you can't directly affect," Allwine said. "So having the opportunity to go up and have a direct, however big or small effect on this situation was really a privilege I couldn't pass up.”
DEC firefighters last fought fires in Quebec in 2005.
Other members of the crew included:
Matthew Adams – Essex and Franklin Counties
Christopher Pelrah – Herkimer and Oneida Counties
Robert Praczkajlo – Essex and Franklin Counties
William Roberts – Chemung, Schuyler, and Seneca Counties
Howard Thomes – Jefferson and Lewis Counties
Arthur Perryman II of Warren County returned June 18.
