A crew of New York State Department of Environmental Conservation firefighters returned after a two-week stint battling a nearly 14,000-acre wildfire in Montana. (Photo provided by DEC)

Numerous North Country residents, including a pair of forest rangers, have returned to New York after battling wildfires in Montana.

Forest rangers Robert Praczkajlo of Jay and Corenne Black of Cranberry Lake were two of the 20 New Yorkers who went out west to work on the fires in Lolo National Forest. St. Lawrence County DEC employees Aaron Graves and James Canevari also returned this week.

The fire is nearly 14,000 acres in size and is expected to burn until September. The New York crew worked on fire lines, clearing materials and protecting 81 homes threatened by the blaze, which officials believe was caused by a lightning strike.

“Last year, DEC sent 33 firefighters, including one 20-person crew, to several western states and Canada,” the DEC said in a press release. “In addition to helping contain the western wildfires and minimize damage, these crews also gain valuable experience that can be utilized fighting wildfires and managing all-risk incidents in New York.”

A second crew has also been dispatched to Montana and could work on any of the 40 or so fires that are currently burning in the western U.S.