(Vancouver) British Columbia is appealing for domestic and international assistance to fight wildfires that blanket communities in thick smoke, as some residents watch the flames approach their homes.
The province has requested 1,000 additional foreign firefighters to join the group of 160 from Mexico and the United States already in British Columbia, said Bowinn Ma, Minister of Emergency Management and Climate Preparedness.
Mme Ma has also formally requested more federal resources from his counterpart in Ottawa, Bill Blair, to help fight the approximately 350 fires burning in British Columbia.
She said during an update on drought conditions in British Columbia on Thursday that an “incident management team” from Australia would arrive on Saturday.
Firefighters from South Korea, France, South Africa and the Dominican Republic have also been battling blazes in Canada, in what is shaping up to be a record fire season.
Mr Blair, the federal Minister for Emergency Preparedness, had earlier said he expected a “fairly substantial” request for help from British Columbia as the wildfire situation worsens.
Blair told The Canadian Press that the government’s operations center had been in talks with the province for several days and that Ottawa was ready to deploy resources.
“Fire season is obviously kicking in quite seriously and they’ve sent us an indication of the additional resources they’ll need,” he said in an interview Thursday.
“Over the past 48 hours, we have worked with the Canadian Armed Forces, Parks Canada, Natural Resources Canada and people from the Canadian Coast Guard,” Blair said. There are many different federal departments all mobilizing their response to BC’s requirements. »
He said federal assistance could include military assistance for airlift evacuations from remote locations, as well as deploying military personnel trained as firefighters to prevent fires from reigniting once they’ve been extinguished.
“If there are communities that become isolated and need to be evacuated, then the Canadian Armed Forces provide those resources,” Blair said.
The Canadian Coast Guard is also mobilizing support for affected coastal communities, and Ministry of Natural Resources employees with expertise in forest management are also preparing to lend a hand, he said.
Blair added that there are a number of national parks in British Columbia, and therefore Parks Canada is ready to help the province with park firefighters and forest management experts.
He said British Columbia was one of the provinces best equipped to deal with the fires, as it is often among the hardest hit, but any additional help needed was made available.
A very dangerous job
B.C. would welcome any additional firefighters and equipment as hot weather and thunderstorms keep extreme fire conditions going and strain resources, said Cliff Chapman, spokesperson for the BC Forest Fire Service. British Columbia.
It’s very, very difficult across Canada and around the world right now to get additional firefighting capacity. It is very dangerous work. With the conditions we find ourselves in, that makes it all the more dangerous for our staff who are working 14, 16 or 20 hour days trying to do everything to steer these fires away from critical impacts.
Cliff Chapman, spokesperson for the BC Forest Fire Service
He said in northwestern British Columbia, 51,000 lightning strikes have been recorded in the past seven days and about 160 wildfires are burning.
Minister Ma’s request for more international assistance was made through the Canadian Interagency Forest Fire Center, which coordinates firefighting resources across the country.
Premier David Eby said earlier this week that the province is seeking more firefighting support, particularly aerial equipment.
He said forecasts suggest that British Columbia and Canada could face the worst fire season in 100 years.
Mr. Eby expressed his gratitude for the assistance provided by firefighters from Mexico and the United States who are on the front lines with the provincial teams.