BC sends more wildland firefighters to Manitoba

More British Columbian firefighters are heading east to help with the fight against early season wildfires in Manitoba.

According to the BC Wildfire Service (BCWS), 16 initial attack firefighters arrived in Manitoba over the weekend.

Another 41 additional firefighters and one agency representative have been dispatched to replace crews who have been in Manitoba since early May.

Manitoba has experienced a difficult start to the wildfire season, most notable in the town of Lac du Bonnet, northeast of Winnipeg.

A severe, fast-moving wildfire raced into the area on May 15, resulting in two fatalities and 28 structures being destroyed.

Nearly 100 BC firefighters remain in Ontario as well, where crews are battling several wildfires in the western portion of the province.

The most notable is a 31,276-hectare blaze in the Kenora region that is leaking over the Ontario-Manitoba border.

“In recent years, crews and specialized staff from across Canada and the world have come to BC during our most challenging fire seasons, giving our firefighters and communities much needed relief,” a BCWS statement said.

“We are grateful for the opportunity to return that support to our partners in their time of need.”

The BCWS adds that it is also providing support to provincial partners in the form of equipment, which includes foam for aerial firefighting, hoses and other on-the-ground firefighting equipment.