As U.S. fire managers raised the nation's wildfire danger to its highest level due to fires in California and other Western U.S. states, straining firefighting resources, Alaska's fire crews boarded a jet headed for Missoula, Mont., to help with the fight.
Crews from Upper Kalskag, Selawik and Noorvik, along with the University of Alaska Fairbanks Nanook fire crew, headed south last week on a charter jet.
Some among them have been fighting fire since the '70s, according to a release from the Alaska Fire Service. Upper Kalskag Squad Boss James Gregory is one of those firefighters.