Beverly-Based Task Force 1 Returns From Oregon Wildfires

BEVERLY, MA — Members of the Massachusetts Task Force 1 search-and-rescue team were set to return home to New England Sunday night after six days sifting through the destruction of the Oregon wildfires.

Thomas Gatzunis, the planning team manager and structure specialist for Task Force 1, said the 25-man unit left Oregon "after successfully completing their assigned missions" Sunday morning and was expected to be back in Beverly early Sunday night.

The unit, which departed from Logan Airport on Monday, traveled across the country to provide search and rescue support for crews battling the raging wildfires. Their mission was to look for any survivors or victims caught in the raging fires, as well as survey damaged buildings and other structures.

The unit battled toxic air, closed roads and communication difficulty throughout the week due to the lingering smoke and burnt-out structures.

"They are not walking on nice, smooth flat pavement," Gatzunis told Patch earlier this week. "It's hilly and debris-filled. A lot of times the roads are closed so they are walking a great distance just to get to the area they need to get to."

The unit, with members from all six New England states, was scheduled to be in Oregon for up to 14 days, but accomplished its mission in six days.

Related Patch Coverage (with additional wildfire photos): Beverly-Based Task Force 1 Confronts Charred Landscape In Oregon

Beverly-Based Task Force 1 Heads To Oregon For Wildfire Support