Nova Scotia firefighters and equipment are heading to Ontario and Quebec to battle wildfires there.
Ontario’s minister of natural resources and forestry issued a statement Tuesday, saying 20 homes were dangerously close to a fire burning about two kilometres southwest of the town of Temagami, near the Quebec border.
Those homes were evacuated and other fires have begun in the area.
READ MORE: Residents near Temagami, Ont., on evacuation notice as wildfires spread
A 20-person crew from Nova Scotia’s Department of Lands and Forestry will be leaving Halifax for Sudbury, Ont. Thursday.
They will form five four-person initial attack crews to fight the fires.
As well, a safety officer is travelling with them to work with an Alberta team to help coordinate resources.
Nova Scotia is also sending four staff members to Quebec to help coordinate resources in the fight against wildfires on that side of the border. Staff will leave Thursday, while 50,000 feet of hose has already been sent ahead of their arrival.
READ MORE: Parks Canada and Saskatchewan lend Quebec a hand to fight forest fires
Nova Scotia’s assistance was requested through the Canadian Interagency Forest Fire Centre. The province is a member of the Canadian Mutual Aid Resource Sharing Agreement, which allows provinces and territories to share resources when forest fires become too big to handle.
The affected province covers the costs of those sending help.
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