Brazilian firefighters prepare to join front-line battle against B.C. wildfires

British Columbia is expecting the arrival of 100 firefighters from Brazil on Friday, adding to the province's growing international wildfire force.

B.C. Wildfire Service (BCWS) spokesperson Cliff Chapman says about 500 international firefighters are already in the province, boosting the ranks of the more than 2,000 provincial personnel on the front lines battling hundreds of blazes.

He says the arrivals from Brazil will join firefighters from Mexico, the United States and Australia currently in B.C.

Bowinn Ma, the provincial emergency management and climate readiness minister, recently requested 1,000 international firefighters through the non-profit Canadian Interagency Forest Fire Centre, which co-ordinates national and international fire management.

Chapman says the Brazilians and the international firefighters already in B.C. will provide much needed relief and assistance to crews battling almost 400 fires currently burning in the province.

He says cooler temperatures and potential rain are easing wildfire conditions in northern areas, but continued hot weather in southern B.C. is shifting fire activity to the southern Interior and southeast.

North of Cranbrook in B.C.'s southeast, the St. Mary's River wildfire had burned 26 square kilometres of land as of Thursday afternoon, which is forecast by Environment Canada to remain hot and dry for the weekend and next week.

Late Thursday, the Regional District of East Kootenay expanded an evacuation alert to 71 properties including the Canadian Rockies International Airport, west of where the fire started on Monday.

Early Friday afternoon, the district isssued an evacuation alert for another 17 properties that are located in the Old Airport and Lakit Lake area north of Cranbrook.

The airport remains open despite the evacuation alert, but manager Tristen Chernove says some flights have been cancelled due to smoky conditions.

Chernove says passengers should monitor their email for latest updates on their flights.

"The airlines get pretty overwhelmed with calls," he said. "But if there is a schedule change imminently happening, the airlines will reach out to their customers." 

Earlier Thursday, the district issued an area restriction order for the vicinity of the St. Mary's River wildfire, prohibiting anyone from staying in or entering the area about 12 kilometres northeast of Cranbrook except with permission from the province.

An evacuation order means residents should leave immediately, whereas an evacuation alert means residents should prepare to evacuate their homes with little to no notice.