June 18, 2021
Manitoba Shows Appreciation for Out-of-Province Assistance with Wildfires
The Manitoba government thanks its Manitoba wildfire crews and sends gratitude and appreciation to hard-working crews from Ontario, Quebec, British Columbia and Alberta that assisted in the province over the past four weeks during Manitoba’s busy spring wildfire season, Conservation and Climate Minister Sarah Guillemard announced today.
“Knowing we can count on the support of other provinces at a time of need, just as they know they can count on us, brings a great feeling of security,” said Guillemard. “We acknowledge the dedication and the sacrifice of out-of-province crew members that left their homes to help protect Manitobans and worked alongside our Manitoba wildfire crews.”
Following a drier than usual winter and a continued dry spring, Manitoba has experienced a record number of large wildfires this season. In anticipation of this high-risk season, the province took extensive measures to protect Manitobans by reacting quickly and reaching out to partners across the country through the Winnipeg-based Canadian Interagency Forest Fire Centre.
Crews from Quebec, Ontario and B.C. battled fires on the ground, while water bombers and bird dog aircraft from Quebec and Alberta supported the effort. This inter-agency co-operation is critical, the minister said, adding that when a jurisdiction in Canada is overwhelmed by wildfires, other jurisdictions provide support. Manitoba crews have reciprocated when other provinces and even other countries have needed assistance including a series of staff who rotated through Australia last year as some of the worst wildfires ever seen there burned across that continent. As well, Manitoba yesterday provided a tanker group of two water bombers and a bird dog plane to fight wildfires in Ontario.
To date, Manitoba has had 103 fires this season, burning a total area of 288,202 hectares. Manitobans are reminded to be FireSmart and follow all local and provincial restrictions. Human-caused fires remain the single biggest source of wildfires in the province, Guillemard added.
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