BC Wildfire Service crews dispatched to support other provinces

Nearly 250 personnel from B.C. have been sent to support crew in other provinces, where wildfires are raging.

B.C. is answering a call for help, stepping up its support for provinces affected by devastating wildfires.

Nearly 250 BC Wildfire Service personnel plus equipment will be on the ground in Manitoba, Saskatchewan and Ontario by the end of this weekend, according to forests minister Ravi Parmar.

“British Columbians know all too well the devastating impacts of wildfires that can occur in our province – and our thoughts go out to all those that are impacted,” Parmar said.

“It’s why we’ve got a very strong working relationship with other provinces and are in a position to be able to provide resources, because we know that when trouble hits home here other provinces have been there to support us.”

Some of the largest evacuations are in Manitoba, where 17,000 people have been forced to leave their homes in remote communities and First Nations. More than a quarter of them were fleeing from in and around the city of Flin Flon, which is near the Saskatchewan border.

“The important thing is that I got out. Same with my family. And to be honest, I was terrified. I really was,” says evacuee Kyler Colomb. He’s among many who arrived in Winnipeg Thursday, following the evacuation order issued for Flin Flon.

“We feel scared. And what’s going to happen for us in the future? We weren’t ready,” says another evacuee, Gina Malate.

According to Vancouver Island’s Coastal Fire Centre, some of its members are among the crews dispatched to the Prairies to help fight active fires – including an incident management team and initial attack crew.

“While we are supporting other provinces and we are enacting open fire prohibitions this weekend, we are maintaining enough resources to address any incidents that should come up in the coastal area,” says BCWS information officer Jennifer Longmire.

There are 56 active fires listed in B.C. None of them are on Vancouver Island.

B.C.’s minister of forests says the province is getting ready to release its seasonal outlook as we near hotter months – and hopes for rain through June.

“Now is the time for you to be fire smart and to fire smart your communities,” says Parmar.