Alabama recently sent some of its finest out to the Pacific Northwest to help fight dozens of wildfires in Oregon and Washington. After a nationwide call for assistance was made, the Alabama Forestry Commission sent 23 firefighters to battle the blaze for 14 days.

Balsie Butler, assistant director for the Alabama Forestry Commission Protection Division, said that the current absence of wildfires in Alabama allowed them lend resources to a place that needed help, and that Alabama will benefit from the experience they recieve.

“It allows our firefighters to gain experience in other environments outside the state of Alabama which can be applied throughout the state,” Butler told FOX10. “We have so many geographical challenges, whether you look at it from north to south or east to west.”

“I jumped on the opportunity,” Forester Greg Brewer said. “We do not get that magnitude of fires, and it did initially intimidate you to have a 20,000 to 30,000-acre fire…We want to be good neighbors to our neighboring states. Last year we sent folks to Mississippi so we want to help them, and there’s going to be a time when Alabama’s going to need some help.”