7/10/2015 Federal Agencies assist Canada in Fire Efforts

 

Contact:  Mike Ferris, U.S. Forest Service
               Jessica Gardetto, Bureau of Land Management

                (208) 387-5050

mferris@fs.fed.us
    jdgardetto@blm.gov  

FEDERAL AGENCIES ASSIST CANADA IN WILDLAND FIRE SUPPRESSION EFFORTS  

BOISE, IDAHO – Five wildland fire suppression crews and 30 fireline management personnel are traveling to Canada today and throughout the weekend to assist with fire suppression operations. Canada is experiencing an intense fire season and has requested wildland firefighting assistance from the U.S.

The five wildland fire suppression crews, mobilized through the National Interagency Coordination Center in Boise, Idaho, consist of 20 firefighters per crew. Four of the crews are comprised of U.S. Forest Service firefighters from northern and southern California, while one of the crews is a National Park Service crew based in Estes Park, CO. The crews and the fireline management personnel will arrive in Edmonton, Alberta and Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, over the weekend and will deploy to wildland fire incidents in both provinces. The U.S. also sent one heavy air tanker to Grande Prairie, Canada on July 5.  

            Canada is currently experiencing an above-normal fire season; the two provinces of Saskatchewan and Alberta are suppressing nearly two thousand wildfires. For more information on Canada’s current fire situation, visit www.ciffc.ca.

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