77 more Canadian firefighters, including 26 from BC, off to Australia

| January 17, 2020 in Wildfire

Local Community Advertising

Another wave of Canadian firefighters is heading to Australia to help fight the country’s devastating bushfires.

On Thursday, 28 fire management experts departed for Victoria where they’ll take on roles in command, operations, planning, logistics and aviation.

Today, seven fire aviation specialists are off to South Australia.

Finally, 40 more professional wildland firefighters and two fire management staff will head to Victoria.

All three groups will be down under for a 31-day deployment.

Of those 77 personnel, the BC Wildfire Service has confirmed that 26 of them are from British Columbia. 

These are the sixth, seventh and eighth deployments of Canadian firefighters to Australia this winter, a total of 172 personnel.

The first deployment of Canadians, who left the country on Dec. 3, have now returned home, and the second and third deployments will return home on Jan. 25 and Jan. 29 respectively.

Local Community Advertising

Trending Stories

Spring jolt for Kelowna real estate sales and prices

Woof woof! Dog-friendly patios abound in Kelowna

Who should pay to have a rock drill removed off a BC highway?

BC government implores Meta to unblock news as another wildfire season begins

Wine tour by horseback, Airstream, hike, bike or electric people mover

BC man wants homes for thousands of books he soon won't be able to read

Police investigating trio of shootings in Kamloops

Cherry Blossom Triathlon on Sunday means road hiccups in the Lower Mission