Third Crew of Wildland Firefighters Help Battle Minnesota Fires

08:23AM / Sunday, August 30, 2026Print Story | Email Story

CARLISLE — Governor Maura Healey announced that Massachusetts is sending a third crew of specially trained wildland firefighters to northern Minnesota to help fight ongoing fires in the region.

The 15-person team includes firefighters from the Massachusetts Department of Conservation and Recreation (DCR) and Massachusetts Department of Fish and Game's (DFG) Division of Fisheries and Wildlife (MassWildlife). Massachusetts has already deployed two crews, to assist with the fires in Minnesota, and several firefighters from the first crew are volunteering to return for a second deployment.

"I'm incredibly proud of our Massachusetts firefighters, including several who are volunteering to head back to Minnesota for a second time," said Governor Maura Healey. "They are leaving their families and putting themselves in harm's way to help communities that need them. We're grateful for their service and wish them a safe deployment."

Five large wildfires continue to burn across the Boundary Waters region of northern Minnesota, including the Bear Trap Fire, which extends into Ontario, Canada. Together, the July Lighting Fires span more than 65,000 acres and have drawn more than 750 personnel as part of a coordinated response.

The Massachusetts team includes 11-person wildland suppression crew and a four-person engine team, all of who meet federal wildland firefighting standards. During the approximately 14-day deployment, the crew may build fire breaks, secure fire perimeters, contain fires and protect structures. All members have completed federal wildland firefighting training and passed required physical fitness testing.

"Massachusetts' firefighters are again lending support to our partners in other states," said Energy and Environmental Affairs Secretary Rebecca Tepper. "Drought and dry conditions are worsening fire risk across the country. Some areas are in need of more capacity as they combat wildfires at a much bigger scale. These trends speak to how climate change puts strain on our first responders. We stand with them and are ready to send our support to communities in need."

Since 1985, DCR's Bureau of Forest Fire Control and Forestry, in partnership with U.S. Forest Service and the Northeast Forest Fire Protection Commission, has been sending crews to fight fires across North America. In recent years Massachusetts firefighting personnel have been deployed to multiple wildfires, including fires in Montana, Idaho, California, Oregon, Arizona, as well as Canada. Last year, DCR and DFG sent a 20-person crew to Fairbanks, Alaska,, for a two-week deployment. In each case, Massachusetts firefighters are able to apply the unique skills they have learned in service at home and acquire new techniques and expertise they can bring back to address future fires.

In the fall of 2025, Chief Fire Warden Dave Celino and the DCR wildland firefighters received the Fire Marshall's award at the 36th annual Firefighter of the Year awards in recognition of the experience, expertise and firefighting resources they contributed to state's efforts to combat the historic fires that burned 4,000 acres across Massachusetts during the 2024 wildfire season.

The responding Massachusetts firefighters are:?

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Pittsfield Proposes 2.64 Tax Rate Hike

By Brittany PolitoiBerkshires Staff
04:34PM / Tuesday, November 10, 2026

PITTSFIELD, Mass. — The proposed tax rate for fiscal year 2027 is less than 40 cents per $1,000 valuation for residential properties and would increase the average property tax bill by about $146 per year.

On Tuesday's City Council meeting agenda is a request from the mayor and Board of Assessors to use a residential factor of .8245 at a shift of 1.75, resulting in a residential tax rate of $17.88 and a commercial, industrial, and personal property tax rate of $37.95.

These matters are typically referred to the Committee of the Whole for deliberation. The proposed rates for residential and commercial are 38 cents and $1.05 more, respectively, from FY26.

The average residential home, valued at $316,792 in FY27, has increased by about $1,500 from the previous fiscal year, and would pay $5,664.24 in yearly taxes.

This is a 2.64 percent, or $145.88, increase.

The average commercial property worth $239,600 saw a $100 increase in value from the previous fiscal year, and would pay $9,092.82 in yearly taxes. This is a $255.27, or 2.89 percent, increase from the previous fiscal year.

The FY27 tax levy of $124,468,317 is a $5.3 million increase from the previous year, or 4.45 percent. There is about $388,000 in excess levy capacity, $2.3 million in new growth, and the levy limit is $124,856,412.

According to the Massachusetts Department of Revenue, 11 single-family homes were added to Pittsfield's housing stock this fiscal year, increasing the city's total assessed value by $19,987,600 to $3,592,737,600.

The city lost five two-family homes in 2027, and that housing type decreased by $3.2 million in assessed value, now worth $384,620,400.

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