The BC Wildfire Service is deploying a senior management team to help fight the Los Angeles wildfires, at the request of California fire officials.
Premier David Eby confirmed the deployment in a post to social media on Friday, adding the team would be “departing imminently.”
“We’re also working to send ground crews as part of a national response,” Eby said.
“California has been there for us, we will be there for them. That’s what good neighbours do.”
B.C. Forests Minister Ravi Parmar said Cal Fire had reached out directly to B.C. to ask for senior-level expertise.
The management team of about 12 people will include technical staff who specialize in advanced planning, logistics, operations, aviation, fire weather, information, and other crucial roles,
Earlier Friday, federal Defence Minister Bill Blair said Canada would deploy Royal Canadian Air Force assets to help with the firefight.
Emergency Preparedness Minister Harjit Sajjan has also said Ontario, Quebec and Alberta would deploy 250 firefighters, aircraft equipment and other resources to California.
Aircraft from B.C. and Quebec are already assisting U.S. crews. One of the Quebec water bombers was grounded on Thursday after it struck a drone illegally flying in the fire zone.
Firefighters have been battling raging fires for several days now, with the flames killing 10 people.
At least 10,000 homes are estimated to have burned, while more than 153,000 people have been evacuated from their homes.
Costs from the disaster are estimated at US$50 billion.
With files from Sean Prevail and Uday Rana