B.C. sends 204 firefighters and personnel to Quebec, Ontario to help fight wildfires
Two-hundred-and-four B.C. firefighters and personnel have been deployed to help fight wildfires in Quebec and Ontario.
Sending firefighters to other provinces or countries is a common mutual aid practice when it comes to controlling wildfires. The news came in a statement from the Ministry of Forests, Lands, Natural Resource Operations and Rural Development.
B.C., which is known for its often unruly and destructive summer wildfires, will be able to call the firefighters back should they be needed on their home turf.
“The crews can be recalled at any time if wildfire conditions change in British Columbia,” said Minister Katrine Conroy in the statement.
“However, given the current fire situation, we have sufficient resources in place to respond appropriately to wildfire activity here.”
BC Wildfire Service sent 180 firefighters to Quebec on Friday and Saturday, along with three support staff. The service is also sending 20 firefighters and one support person to Ontario on Sunday.
The move comes as the COVID-19 pandemic continues, posing potential challenges in infection control should any of the firefighters be carrying the virus. But Conroy said there are measures in place to make it safer.
"COVID-19 precautions will be taken to protect the health of everyone participating, both during their time in Central Canada and on their return to this province. Firefighters will remain within their own 'bubbles' and conduct operations separately from Quebec and Ontario firefighters.”
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
BREAKING Average hourly wage in Canada now $34.95: StatCan
Average hourly wages among Canadian employees rose to $34.95 on a year-over-year basis in April, a 4.7 per cent increase, according to a Statistics Canada report released Friday morning.
From outer space? Sask. farmers baffled after discovering strange wreckage in field
A family of fifth generation farmers from Ituna, Sask. are trying to find answers after discovering several strange objects lying on their land.
This iconic Canadian song is turning 50
Andy Kim's 'Rock Me Gently' is marking a major milestone, as it celebrates its 50th anniversary.
Oprah Winfrey: I set an unrealistic standard for dieting
Oprah Winfrey said on Thursday evening that she has long played a role in promoting unhealthy and unrealistic diets.
Ontario family receives massive hospital bill as part of LTC law, refuses to pay
A southwestern Ontario woman has received an $8,400 bill from a hospital in Windsor, Ont., after she refused to put her mother in a nursing home she hated -- and she says she has no intention of paying it.
Toronto police called to Drake's Bridle Path mansion for another alleged intruder on Thursday
Toronto police say a man who allegedly attempted to access Drake’s Bridle Path property was taken to hospital on Thursday after an altercation with security guards.
Flat tire on a highway? Here's why you shouldn't try to fix it
If you're cruising down a highway and realize you have a flat tire, you may want to think twice before stopping to fix it on the side of the road.
Storm-battered U.S. South is again under threat. A boy swept into a drain fights for his life
Dangerous storms crashed over parts of the U.S. South on Thursday even as the region cleaned up from earlier severe weather that spawned tornadoes, killed at least three people, and gravely injured a boy who was swept into a storm drain as he played in a flooded street.
Broadcaster and commentator Rex Murphy dead at 77: National Post
The National Post is reporting that Rex Murphy, the pundit and columnist who hosted a national call-in radio show for decades, has died.