Exhausted American firefighters have an emotional reunion with their families as they return home after battling devastating bushfires
- American firefighters have returned home after fighting bushfires in Australia
- 18 men and two women worked with the Victoria Rural Fire Service for a month
- Australia has endured one of its worst bushfires seasons, with 33 people killed
A group of heroic firefighters have returned to the United States after spending nearly a month battling bushfires in Australia.
Cameras captured the emotional reunion between the crew members from Angeles National Forest and their families at a fire station in Los Angeles, California on Wednesday.
Children rushed to wrap their arms around the firefighters after being apart for a month.
Capt. Leonard Dimaculangan, a Angeles National Forest firefighter, (pictured) said he was looking forward to some rest and spending some quality time with his family
Firefighter Leonard Dimaculangan, of Pasadena, California (centre), is greeted by his mother Lucita (right) and daughter Promise, 11, after arriving from a deployment fighting bushfires in Australia
The 18 men and two women worked with the Victoria Rural Fire Service to fight Australia's devastating blazes over the Christmas period.
Jackie Ortega, a Angeles National Forest firefighter, spoke highly of Australians but said he was happy to finally be home.
'It feels really good to be home. This last month was really, really exciting. I have to say that the people of Australia are definitely nice folks,' he said.
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Captain Leonard Dimaculangan said he was looking forward to some rest and spending some quality time with his family.
More than 200 American firefighters were deployed to help battle the fires last month.
Sadly, three American firefighters died during their deployment.
Captain Ian McBeth, first officer Paul Clyde Hudson and flight engineer Rick DeMorgan Jr died when the waterbombing aircraft they were flying hit the ground in Cooma, New South Wales on January 23.
Captain Ian McBeth was an experienced pilot who had dedicated years of his life to fighting fires in the military and with Coulson Aviation
Three American airmen killed in a plane crash while fighting bushfires in Australia have been sent home to the United States under a military honour guard (pictured First Officer Paul Hudson)
Flight Engineer Rick DeMorgan Jr, from Florida was among the group who were killed
The men's families had already traveled to Australia before a memorial service on January 30 in which officials described the men as heroes
Their bodies were sent home to the United States under a military honour guard on Wednesday.
Australian and American soldiers were in attendance at Sydney International Airport as the coffins were loaded onto a plane bound for Houston.
A touching memorial was held for the men on January 30 attended by family, friends, emergency services chiefs, and military personnel at Richmonf RAAF base.
America, Australia and New Zealand similar exchanges for over a decade, but the last time US firefighters were sent to Australia was in 2010.
Australia has endured one of its worst bushfires seasons, with 33 people killed since the season began in October
Firefighters battle the Morton Fire as it burns a home near Bundanoon, New South Wales
NIFC spokeswoman Carrie Bilbao said the firefighters had to be trained on poisonous snakes and insects native to the region before heading out.
Australia has endured one of its worst bushfires seasons, with 33 people killed since the season began in October.
The ferocious fires also destroyed hundreds of homes and killed thousands of animals.
Many communities are now facing the grim task of rebuilding.
