Mexico sends second wave of wildfire firefighters as B.C. braces for difficult weeks ahead
200 Mexican personnel arrived Thursday; Australian and New Zealand crews also deploying to help BC Wildfire Service battle 105 active fires across the province.
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Two hundred Mexican wildfire personnel arrived at Abbotsford International Airport Thursday, adding to international support flowing into B.C. as the province faces intensifying fire conditions over the coming weeks.
Premier David Eby welcomed the firefighters alongside crews from Australia and New Zealand, part of a larger deployment that also includes personnel from Alberta, Quebec and the Yukon. The arrivals follow 100 Mexican firefighters who landed Monday and were deployed to Clinton and 70 Mile House.
Eby said the second Mexican wave will likely head to the Brunswick Complex fire in the Fraser Canyon to relieve exhausted frontline crews. "It's about providing much-needed support and relief for our frontline wildfire firefighters to be able to recover and then return to the frontline," he said.
B.C. Wildfire Service identified the need for additional resources weeks ago based on long-range forecasts and current conditions. Eby said dry weather and lightning strikes are expected in the Interior through the coming weeks. "We're expecting to see intensifying conditions over the next couple of weeks," he said.
As of Thursday at 4 p.m., 105 wildfires were burning across the province. Forty-nine fires are out of control, 23 are being held and 33 are under control. Six fires are classified as fires of note. Environment Canada has issued air quality warnings for Metro Vancouver and the Fraser Valley, with additional warnings in effect across parts of the Interior including the Okanagan, Cariboo, Shuswap and Lower Nicola.
The facts
How many Mexican firefighters arrived in B.C. on Thursday, August 6?
Two hundred Mexican wildfire personnel arrived at Abbotsford International Airport on Thursday, August 6, as part of a second wave of international support.
How many active wildfires were burning in B.C. as of Thursday?
As of Thursday, August 6 at 4 p.m., 105 wildfires were burning across British Columbia, with 49 out of control, 23 being held, and 33 under control.
Where were the Mexican firefighters who arrived Monday being deployed?
The 100 Mexican firefighters who arrived Monday, August 3, were deployed to Clinton and 70 Mile House.
What international crews are helping B.C. battle the wildfires?
British Columbia is receiving support from Mexican, Australian, and New Zealand wildfire personnel, along with crews from Alberta, Quebec, and the Yukon.
