A Pennsylvania wildland firefighting crew departed from the Camp Hill area for Minnesota to help suppress fires that have fueled heavy smoke.
Minnesota has already deployed National Guard crews in the Boundary Waters region, using Black Hawk helicopters for several days to check the fires' growth from the air.
Guard members said helicopter teams direct spot and line water drops so pilots can hit targets they cannot see directly below, freeing ground crews to focus on containment.
The interstate deployment underscores how the Minnesota fires are straining local resources and threatening nearby communities.