PORTLAND, Ore. – Four Oregon firefighters are being sent to Australia to help fight the historic wildfires spreading throughout the country.
The Bureau of Land Management said on January 6, the firefighters from BLM district in Vale, Prineville and Burns are joining 13 other interagency firefighters from the Pacific Northwest.
The wildfires, most in southeastern Australia, have destroyed hundreds of homes and killed at least 24 people. They’ve grown to cover more than 30,000 square miles of territory.
The last time the U.S. sent firefighters to Australia in an official capacity was in 2010, the BLM said.
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