Ten fire management personnel from across northwestern Ontario have been deployed to Australia in the fight against devastating wildfires.
They include six from Dryden, two from Thunder Bay, one from Sioux Lookout and one from Kenora. No one from Fort Frances is involved.
Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry Information Officer Jonathan Scott says a total of 19 personnel from Ontario are assisting.
Scott says the crew is a group of specialists who are acting in the roles of logistics, planning, fire behaviour, operations and other support services.
“These deployments are from between 31 to 38 days, depending on which state they will be deployed to. Within that, there will be days off in between to refresh people out in Australia,” says Scott.
Scott notes the province hasn’t been contacted to provide additional support at this time.
Hundreds of fires, which have been raging since September, have burned through eight million hectares of land across the country so far.
The latest figures indicate 24 people and countless animals have died, and nearly 2,000 homes have been destroyed.
The country received a brief reprieve from the hot and dry conditions this week. However, the situation is expected to explode once again by week end.
(Picture Credit: @ONforestfires)
