Fire and Emergency sends fourth crew to Canada to assist with wildfires

17 Hōngongoi 2023

As fires still impact Canada, a fourth crew from Fire and Emergency is on its way to the province of Alberta to help fight wildfires.

The crew of 22 will spend up to six weeks providing specialist support for what has been the worst wildfire season in Canada.

The fourth contingent is made up of a 20-person fire strike team, an agency representative, and an air attack supervisor from across the country. Twelve of the firefighters are from Fire and Emergency, while five each are from Department of Conservation and Timberlands.

Fire and Emergency Deputy National Commander Steph Rotarangi says the crew will head to Alberta in Canada then north of Peace Lake where they will assist international crews already on the ground.

"While the work will be physically and mentally tough for our crew, the skills they will gain from an international deployment will be invaluable when they re-join their brigades and teams back in New Zealand."

Since May, Fire and Emergency has sent a total of 90 personnel at the request of the Canadian Interagency Forest Fire Centre (CIFFC). The crew will join a third deployment in Canada and two crews have returned home to New Zealand.