Firefighting crews from Australia and New Zealand on the way to help B.C. fire fight
CTV
Outside help is arriving to battle British Columbia wildfires that authorities expect to flare this week, with Australian and New Zealand firefighters on the way and crews and aircraft from other provinces already on the ground.
Outside help is arriving to battle British Columbia wildfires that authorities expect to flare this week, with Australian and New Zealand firefighters on the way and crews and aircraft from other provinces already on the ground.
The BC Wildfire Service said on social media that the international personnel are expected to arrive on Friday, as hot, dry conditions persist in the province and the number of active wildfires hovers around 150.
It said the two 15-person incident management teams will then be briefed and given their first assignments.
An additional 30 people will arrive on Sunday to "fill specialized positions such as helicopter co-ordinators and fire behaviour analysts."
The wildfire service said a 20-person crew from Nova Scotia came in over the weekend to help fight fires, while two firefighting aircraft from Ontario have landed and will be stationed in Williams Lake.
"Supplementing our crews and contract crews allows us to ensure staff who have been working on fire response since May have the chance to rest," the BC Wildfire Service said.
"It also gives us more person-power during a continued period of hot and dry weather which makes fires more likely and elevates fire behaviour."
