January 7, 2020 9:45 a.m.  
Staff with the Bureau of Land Management in Oregon/Washington have announced that four firefighters have been deployed to assist Australia with the prolific wildfires spread throughout that country.
A BLM release said firefighters include staff from the BLM Vale, Prineville, and Burns Districts that are going with thirteen other interagency Pacific Northwest firefighters.
Those going have expertise in air tactical support, wildland fire incident management and firefighter crew leadership.
The release said the fires that started to burn in August have continued uninterrupted with large areas of both New South Wales and Queensland burned, resulting in multiple property losses, and fatalities. Fire conditions continue to be a challenge in both areas, while new fires are causing concern further south in Victoria. Fire conditions in Australia are extreme due to an extended drought, hot temperatures, and relative humidity in the single digits.
The National Multi-Agency Coordinating Group is working with the National Interagency Coordination Center to mobilize resources and distribute the request across agency partners. The last time the U.S. sent firefighters to Australia was in 2010.