Fire and Emergency New Zealand (FENZ) is sending four additional personnel to assist with Canada’s ongoing wildfire crisis, bringing further support to a country grappling with hundreds of active blazes.
The latest deployment includes three taskforce leaders and one helicopter coordinator, who will travel to Alberta to join a larger Incident Management Team (IMT) alongside Australian counterparts. This follows a formal request for assistance from the Canadian Interagency Forest Fire Centre (CIFFC).
Currently, 50 New Zealand personnel are already on the ground in Manitoba, contributing to frontline firefighting efforts.
Deputy National Commander Steph Rotarangi says New Zealand is in a position to continue offering help while maintaining response capacity at home.
“The conditions here at home mean we can currently continue to support our Canadian counterparts as they battle wildfires across their country,” she said. “It’s also an opportunity for our specialists to learn and apply their skills in some of the most challenging environments.”
Canada is experiencing a severe wildfire season, with more than six million hectares of land already burned. There are 747 active wildfires across the country—64 of them in Alberta alone.
“It’s a long, hard slog for their crews and IMTs,” Rotarangi said. “Our team heading over will help provide relief and respite for the teams that have been battling these fires for a long time.”
She also paid tribute to the commitment of those involved: “I want to thank them for answering the call and for the sacrifice of spending a significant period away from their loved ones. I also extend my appreciation to the team already in Canada, who have been working incredibly hard and achieving great results over the past three weeks.”
About The Author
