POLSON — Lake County was the recent recipient of a new type-6 wildland fire engine from the Montana Department of Natural Resources and Conservation for use through the Chief Cliff Volunteer Fire Department.

President of the Chief Cliff fire board Sigurd Jensen was handed the fire rig’s keys from DNRC Fire and Aviation Management Bureau Chief Ted Mead in front of the Lake County Office of Emergency Management on the morning of June 15. The truck is part of the DNRC’s County Cooperative Fire Protection Program, which has aided rural and volunteer fire departments in fire response attack on DNRC land within their counties through providing the necessary tools in equipment and training with financial and operational assistance for over four decades.

“The program pays for itself every single summer,” Mead said. “It’s a win-win situation, and a really great program the state provides as a way to help our counties with fire protection.”

Jensen said the type-6 truck will be the eighth fire protection vehicle in his department — upgrading the fleet with a newer, more reliable rig.

“It’s a huge upgrade for us and makes our department better able to serve the community,” Jensen added.