Offender crews provide needed fire support

In the upcoming fire season, minimum security offenders from the Airway Heights Corrections Center will be working with Department of Natural Resources crews, fighting fires in the region.

Part of the offenders’ job includes digging fire lines to prevent a blaze from advancing further.

Arcadia district manager for the DNR’s Northeast region Andrew Stenbeck said fire line crews dig down to reach mineral soil, where there are no organic compounds. That way, the fire can be fully contained instead of smoldering across a fresh fire line, burning right over it.

“One of the key objectives today is t...