More B.C. wildfire personnel headed to Alberta

KAMLOOPS – Forty-one B.C. wildfire personnel, including two unit crews and an agency representative, will join the 88 others deployed earlier this week to fight wildfires in Alberta. 

Crews will be stationed in Edmonton, but could be deployed elsewhere throughout that province based on fire activity and need. Along with 129 personnel, B.C. sent two fixed-wing aircraft, according to a media release.

Legally, crews can asssit for up to 19 days out-of-province and can be recalled at any time, the province says, pointing out B.C. still has sufficient resources should wildfire activity increase at home. 

The 25,000 hectare Little Bobtail Lake fire, which is southwest of Prince George, is the largest fire in the province so far this year, but is 100 per cent contained. 

Fire crews from all ten provinces along with firefighter from Alaska and Australia assisted B.C. Wildfire battle blazes last year.

To contact a reporter for this story, email Glynn Brothen at gbrothen@infonews.ca, or call 250-319-7494. To contact the editor, email mjones@infonews.ca or call 250-718-2724.