WESTPORT — Fire Chief Robert Yost has returned to Westport after two weeks with a management team supporting firefighters battling a Minnesota wildfire.

Yost joined the Eastern Area Incident Management Team, a crew of 57 managing efforts to contain the Greenwood Fire in northeastern Minnesota.

The Greenwood Fire, ignited by lightning, was detected Aug. 15, about 10 ten miles southwest of Isabella. When Yost arrived in Minnesota, the fire encompassed about 6,000 acres and was spreading. During his deployment, the wildfire grew to 26,000 acres and directly threatened the town of Isabella. 

Yost was the medical unit leader for the entire incident, as well as seven fire line medics, two medical ATVs and two incident ambulances, according to a release from the Westport Fire Department.

The Greenwood blaze destroyed 14 primary structures and 57 outbuildings on Aug. 23, according to the release, but because of favorable weather and firefighting efforts, the threat to cabins, homes and recreational sites in the area has diminished. The objective of the fire management team was “full suppression [of the fire] using all available resources.”

Yost found his deployment to be a valuable “training opportunity in large-scale incident management.

“Connecticut is not immune to a wildfire, or a large-scale natural disaster, and we need to be just as prepared as our western counterparts,” the chief added. “As the fires continue to burn, please keep all the firefighters out on assignment nationwide in your thoughts and prayers.”

Welcoming Yost back to town, First Selectman Jim Marpe said in the statement, “I’m proud of him and all the brave firefighters who regularly volunteer their time to be on the front lines of these terrible events.

“And it’s a reflection of the dedication of all Westport firefighters who help those in need here at home and wherever disasters present a danger to life and property.”