Ontario ready to deploy more than 150 firefighters to California, Ford calls situation 'devastating'
CTV
More than 150 Ontario firefighters are standing by and ready to be deployed to California as the state battles unprecedented wildfires, which have displaced more than 100,000 residents and left five people dead.
More than 150 Ontario firefighters are standing by and ready to be deployed to California as the state battles unprecedented wildfires, which have displaced more than 100,000 residents and left five people dead.
“Our closest friend and our closest ally needs help, and we’re going to make sure we’re going to be there for there supporting them,” Ford said during a news conference Thursday afternoon.
The premier called the situation in California a tragedy and acknowledged the firefighters who are “absolute heroes.”
The province says two waterbombers and pilots, 165 urban firefighters, and 20 additional emergency response personnel are available to head west, should they be called upon.
Ford noted that, if necessary, the province could send up to 300 additional firefighters to help.
Since Tuesday, some 130,000 people have been told to evacuate their homes as massive fires burn in the affluent neighbourhoods of Pacific Palisades and Hollywood Hills in the west and Altadena in the east, as well as other areas in between.
Hurricane-level winds observed earlier this week propelled fires from one neighbourhood to another and fire hydrants in some areas ran dry due to the surge in use. Officials say dry winds contributed to the spread of fires in Southern California, an area which has seen less than three millimetres of rain since early May.
