Much of Colorado is ablaze. These 4 Bluffton firefighters think they can make a difference

Four Bluffton firefighters have headed west to help extinguish wildfires in Colorado, where fires have raged through parts of the state for several weeks.

Bluffton Township Fire District’s Capt. Richard Dollahan and firefighters Matt Henne, Tyler Marion and Jason Williams left on their two to three week mission early Sunday.

Right now, there are at least 11 fires that are 100 acres or larger burning through the trees, brush, and wildlife in Colorado, according to a map from the Colorado Division of Homeland Security and Emergency Management.

One of those fires doubled in size over the weekend and has burned at least 21,790 acres, according to the Denver Post.

The men arrived in Colorado on Monday and are on the road again, Bluffton Fire spokesperson Capt. Lee Levesque said Tuesday.

The team of four are all leaders of the department’s Wildland Fire Crew, so when the call for assistance came, they were ready to go, Levesque said..

“They’re trained for this,” he said. “This is their cup of tea.”

Levesque said opportunities for Bluffton Fire crew members to travel and work elsewhere don’t happen too frequently.

“Thankfully it’s not needed often,” Levesque said. “It’s really Mother Nature’s choice, and sometimes just because there’s a need doesn’t mean we always get called upon.”

The trip is part of a partnership between Bluffton Fire, the South Carolina State Forestry Commission, and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service based in the Savannah National Wildlife Refuge.

The Bluffton firefighters were requested by the Rocky Mountain Area Coordination Center based in Lakewood Colorado.

“All four of these deployed gentlemen are dedicated firefighting professionals and are willing to assist our fellow Americans as needed regardless of location” Deputy Chief Rick Cramer of the Bluffton Township Fire District said in a news release.