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VICTORIA
– British Columbia is sending
52 forest fire specialists to Australia to help respond to bushfires that have burned
over 30 homes and a ski lodge in the State of Victoria, announced Forests and
Range Minister Rich Coleman today.
“This is the first time that we have deployed such a large number of our forest fire specialists outside North America,” said Coleman. “Both British Columbia and Australia are among the most fire-prone environments in the world, so it’s helpful for us to share both our expertise and our resources in times of emergency.”
The fire specialists will be flying from Vancouver to Melbourne on Jan. 5. Crews will be assisting their counterparts with the State of Victoria’s Department of Sustainability and Environment and Country Fire Authority, who need relief due to an early and extreme start to Australia’s fire season.
The majority of staff being
deployed are planning and operational specialists, including fire behaviour
analysts, supervisors and incident commanders. Eight firefighters and a number
of information officers have also been requested by Australian officials. Staff
will be deployed until mid-February.
The State of Victoria has lost more than
870,000 hectares to wildland fire, with structures lost in both the
states of Tasmania and Victoria.
The costs of the
deployment are being paid by Australia, under the terms of a co-operation
agreement recently signed by B.C. and the Australian wildland firefighting
agencies. B.C. has been sharing its knowledge and expertise with Australia for
over 10 years as part of its global co-operation efforts.
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Media Relations Co-ordinator 250 387-4592 |
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