A crew of 20 veteran firefighters based in California will soon head to Australia to help battle the country's out-of-control wildfires that have killed at least 23 people and scorched millions of acres.

The National Interagency Fire Center in Boise, Idaho, which is mobilizing U.S. resources in response to Australia's requests for international firefighting aide, says the crew of federal firefighters based in the Angeles National Forest will depart on Monday.

The U.S. has sent dozens of fire managers to Australia since early December.

Officials say this crew has experience attacking fires early before they grow into infernos.

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