Roanoke (WSLS) - A group of local firefighters have returned home after fighting wildfires in Alaska for two weeks.
Jeremey Falkenau of Vinton was one of close to a dozen people from Southwest Virginia that made the trip.
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He works for the Virginia Department of Forestry and says Alaska is experiencing its worst fire season in almost a decade due to a light winter.
The group battled three fires in Alaska, one which burned through almost 1,500 acres.
Falkenau said the trip was a great experience and each team member learned new skills that can be applied to fighting fires in Southwest Virginia.