January 3, 2020
Manitoba Sends More Staff to Help with Australia Wildfires
– – –Fourth Deployment of Canadian Support
Manitoba Conservation and Climate advises the province is once again responding to a call for assistance to help fight the raging wildfires in Australia.
The Canadian Interagency Forest Fire Centre (CIFFC), based in Winnipeg, has received an official request for additional assistance with the ongoing wildfire situation in Australia. Canadian agencies have been quick to respond. On Dec. 2, the first Canadian team left for approximately a one-month mission, and on Dec. 19, a second contingent of 30 highly qualified personnel from Wildland Fire Agencies across Canada left for a 31-day deployment to New South Wales. A group of 17 firefighters were deployed to the state of Queensland on Dec. 30.
The original 21-member team is preparing to return home and a fourth group of 21 Canadians will leave Jan. 4 to assist in New South Wales. This latest group includes two staff from the Manitoba Wildfire Program, making a total of five Manitobans supporting the wildfire efforts in Australia.
The Canadians will assist the incident management team including roles in command, aviation, planning, logistics and operations. Crews in the third and fourth deployments come from Ontario, Manitoba, Saskatchewan, Alberta, British Columbia and Parks Canada.
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