20 Quebec forest firefighters sent to Manitoba to help battle wildfires
Posted May 19, 2024 12:16 pm.
Even though the rain of recent days has given respite to those fighting forest fires in western Canada, they are receiving reinforcements from Quebec.
The Société de protection des forêts contre le feu (SOPFEU) announced Sunday that around 20 forest firefighters as well as a SOPFEU representative were deployed to Manitoba. A SOPFEU information officer will also be deployed to Alberta.
They left Quebec on Saturday.
The government of Quebec is part of the Canadian Mutual Aid Agreement in the event of forest fires.
“The situation prevailing in Quebec and the operational capabilities of SOPFEU allow it to lend resources to its colleagues in other provinces without harming its ability to intervene on Quebec territory,” SOPFEU said in a press release.
Since the start of the season, SOPFEU teams have already fought 96 fires that have burned 105 hectares of forest, according to its most recent statistics.
SOPFEU invites the population to be extra careful during this spring period, when conditions are often conducive to fires.
–This report by La Presse Canadienne was translated by CityNews
