Four different wildfires in Arizona have burned more than 20,000 acres of land. 20 of the most elite firefighters from Montana have been called in on standby.
The Bitterroot Hotshots based south of Missoula, in Darby, may start to help with those Arizona flames. Right now the 20 person crew is in Phoenix, about two hours away from the Crown King fire.
When the fire season starts this time of year, the hotshots are up for grabs, they're a national resource. Forest managers say they typically start down south and move up north throughout the summer depending on where the big blazes are.
The Bitterroot National Forest Fire Management Officer said the Hotshots are one of the top crews in the nation, and they?re no strangers to big fires.
?It's one of the top crews in the nation in terms of firefighting crews. They're a national resource, they could go anywhere in the U.S., Canada, Hawaii and even Australia?? said Rick Floch.
Floch said the Bitterroot crew is on standby in Phoenix; they don't know yet which fire they'll be called in to help contain.
NBC Montana will keep you updated on their status.
