Defence Minister David McGuinty said Canada’s military is “on standby” to assist with British Columbia’s wildfire response if needed.
McGuinty said Monday the province had not yet formally requested assistance from the Canadian Armed Forces, but he said federal and provincial officials were in “constant contact” and were assessing the situation “hour-by-hour.”
B.C. Emergency Management Minister Kelly Greene said the province asked Ottawa to help secure accommodation for evacuees, especially in the Summerland area.
Federal Emergency Management and Community Resilience Minister Eleanor Olszewski said Sunday she had approved the request and directed federal officials, led by the Government Operations Centre at Public Safety Canada, to work with the province to provide support.
“The federal government is here to support British Columbia and everyone in the province impacted by this summer’s wildfires for as long as it takes,” she said in a social media post.
“Grateful to Minister Olszewski and the federal government for their support,” Greene said in a statement. “We are in close contact with our counterparts in Ottawa and our teams are working closely together. B.C. will continue to count on the federal government’s support now and in the months ahead as communities recover from these devastating wildfires.”
Greene’s ministry said the province is working with other agencies to secure firefighting resources, including through the Canadian Interagency Forest Fire Centre.
“We’ve seen a strong response from other Canadian jurisdictions so far this season and are grateful for the support,” the ministry said in an email.
The province said hundreds of wildfire personnel from Mexico, Australia, New Zealand and other Canadian jurisdictions have joined B.C.’s wildfire response.
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