BC Sends Crews To California To Fight Fires

Thursday, July 10, 2008 03:41 PM

Prince George, B.C. – Six aircrafts and 44 forest fire fighters and specialists are on their way to California to help the state respond to wildfires.

Minister of Forests and Range, Pat Bell says the weather has cooperated in B.C. this season, which is allowing us to share our highly trained personnel "While we are pleased to be able to help, a key benefit of sharing resources with other jurisdictions is that we in turn will have access to additional resources if and when our fire season becomes more demanding."

The forest fire fighters, specialists and aircrafts will be deployed today and tomorrow to northern California for up to 14 days. California fire services have responded to 1,781 wildfires since June, which together have burned nearly 285,000 hectares and have destroyed 99 residences. The state currently has nearly 20,000 personnel devoted to fire suppression. California is forecasting continued hot and dry weather, which intensifies fire behaviour.

B.C. personnel being deployed come from the Coastal, Kamloops and Southeast fire centres. They include two unit crews of 20 people each, which are deployed to larger fires where sustained action is needed, two air attack officers, who direct air tankers' fire suppression activities, and two agency representatives. B.C. is also sending four air tankers to drop fire retardant, and two bird-dog aircraft to guide the air tankers' activities.

This is the third out-of-province deployment of British Columbia fire personnel this year, and the second to California. The 15 B.C. fire specialists deployed to California July 7 are working primarily on the Mendocino Lightning Complex group of wildfires.

In May, 67 firefighters were deployed to Alberta. International deployments are co-ordinated through the Canadian Interagency Forest Fire Centre (CIFFC). Costs of the deployment are being paid by the requesting jurisdiction.

Since April, provincial fire crews have responded to 681 fires throughout the province, of which about 41 per cent of which were caused by lightning strikes and 59 by people. Sufficient resources will remain in B.C. should fire activity increase. Deployed crews may be recalled at any time should conditions worsen.

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