British Columbia wildfire fighters are answering the call for help and are heading to the Los Angeles area amid the deadly firestorm.
On Jan. 10, B.C. Minister of Forests Ravi Parmar confirmed that roughly 32 BC Wildfire Service members will be heading out soon.
"Most of the crews will be leaving in the next few days," he says.
Incident management teams and a ground crew will be sent, adds Parmar.
"These are highly technical staff that understand wildfires better than anyone and understand the logistics and the operational side," he says.
At this time, firefighters and staff will be deployed for roughly two weeks, as the situation remains fluid.
"They've asked for additional support in the form of ground crew, and so we're now working with them, alongside the senior management team, to be able to provide close to about 20 people that will be on the ground providing support attacking these fires," Parmar says.
The minister says there's a lot of work that goes into sending Canadian firefighters and staff.
"BC Wildfire Service is absolutely a professional organization that steps up for British Columbians, and in this case, is now stepping out for the people of California," he says.
A dozen of those heading south can provide aviation, operational and logistics support.
The safety and health of the BC Wildfire Service crews will be closely monitored, Parmar says, "making sure that they have everything they need, that their health remains and safety remains a top priority."
Parmar is currently visiting northern B.C. communities that have been impacted by wildfires and spoke to Glacier Media over Zoom. He will be visiting Fort St. James, Vanderhoof, Fraser Lake and the Cheslatta First Nation.
“I've seen that firsthand, the devastating impact it has on British Columbia, flying over that territory and in the communities talking about the impacts on the forest sector," he says.
Cheslatta First Nation had about 50 per cent of its territory impacted by wildfires, according to Parmar.
"We've made record investments to make [the BC Wildfire Service] full time. We've got career wild firefighters working for the Government of B.C. through the BC Wildfire Service,” he says.
"I think we should be really proud of those that work in the wildfire service, not just in British Columbia, but across Canada."
