A group of Bemidji firefighters is home safe tonight after a two-week mission to Oregon to help fight wildfires there.

Some area residents gathered at the Bemidji Fire Department today for a surprise “welcome home” party for the firefighters. 29 firefighters from seven departments across the state were deployed to Oregon following a request from Oregon officials. Wildfires there torched more than 4,000 homes and burned more than 1,000,000 acres across the state.

Bemidji Fire Chief David Hoefer was the team leader for Minnesota Task Force Two, which was made up of firefighters from Bemidji and Crosslake. The other firefighters involved in the mission came from Brainerd, Fisher, Eden Prairie, Motley, and the Spring Lake Park/Blaine/Mounds View Fire Departments.

By — Lakeland News