Firefighters from all over the region gathered in Franklin County Thursday to learn the basics of battling wildfires.
In the Grassy Hill Natural Area Preserve, trainees from area fire departments, the Department of Conservation, and the Department of Game and Inland Fisheries took part in the training hosted by the Virginia Department of Forestry and the Department of Conservation and Recreation.
“Some of the most dangerous things out there on a wildfire are snags, which are dead trees, standing dead trees, and other debris in the way,” said Bill Sweeney, with the Virginia Department of Forestry.