A fire forester with Schuylkill County is among those going out to battle wildfires in Colorado.

Jake Novitsky, a fire forester with the Weiser Forest District, which covers Schuylkill, Carbon, Dauphin, Columbia, Lebanon, Northumberland and Montour counties, is leaving this week to provide much needed help for the Pine Gulch fire near Grand Junction, Colorado. The approximate 139,000-acre fire started by lightning and was about 79 percent contained, according to an update posted on inciweb.nwcg.gov.

“I’m very excited. I’m very happy to be going out. I like fighting fires,” Novitsky said.

He appreciates the opportunity.

“It’s an honor to represent Pennsylvania when we are out there,” he said.

He is one of five people from the Weiser Forest District and among 20 from 10 of the 20 forest districts statewide that are going. The length of the deployment hasn’t been established.

“We have to drive out to Colorado. We are not going in planes (because of COVID-19),” Novitsky said.

Novitsky is the crew boss trainee, which is essentially a supervisor, of the initial attack-type two-hand crew. The group is bringing their equipment with them. Hand tools, chainsaws, water and personal protective equipment are among the items.

“We’re not required to wear a face mask on the fire line,” Novitsky said.

While he received the go-ahead from the State Department of Conservation and Natural Resources to proceed to Colorado, they might be needed elsewhere once they get closer to their destination.

This is not the first instance he has fought fires outside the state, having done so at least 12 times before in Utah, Nevada, California, Colorado, Oregon, Wyoming and Utah.

Most recently he and 19 others fought the Caldwell and Stump fires in California, both of which were started by lightning.

Novitsky urged residents to be cautious.

“Don’t think that large fires can’t happen here in Pennsylvania.”