Westport Fire Department welcomes back deputy chief from fighting wildfires in Midwest
The Westport Fire Department gleefully welcomed back Deputy Chief Michael Kronick this week, after he spent 14 days fighting wildfires in the Midwest.
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Aug 17, 2021, 10:23 PM
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Updated 1,074 days ago
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6h agoThe Westport Fire Department gleefully welcomed back Deputy Chief Michael Kronick this week, after he spent 14 days fighting wildfires in the Midwest.
Kronick joined 19 other firefighters from across the Northeast in lending a hand in Minnesota and Montana.
He says if a structure fire is a sprint, then fighting wildfires is a marathon.
It's incredibly more difficult due to the environment, as firefighters are combating dehydration, the altitude, and the physicality of the job.
This comes also with a different set of tools and training at the crews' disposal.
Wildfires in the Western and Midwestern United States are getting bigger and more frequent due to climate change and unmanaged forests.
Wildfire season in North America has been extended almost by 90 days now: It basically runs from late April until almost the end of November now.
Kronick says while the danger is lower in Connecticut, it's always good to keep those skills sharp.
He says the main reason he keeps fighting wildfires is because of the close bonds forged in the heat of the flames.
Kronick shared, "On a 14-day assignment, you become very close with people, and you make lifelong friendships."
