Winnipeg-based centre coordinating deployment of Canadians fighting Australia wildfires

Dozens of Canadian firefighting personnel are heading to Australia to battle the raging wildfires, and much of it is being coordinated here in Winnipeg.

New Brunswick resident Stephen Tulle is spending his holidays working at the Canadian Interagency Forest Fire Centre (CIFFC) in Winnipeg, coordinating and deploying firefighting resources from across the country to send aid to Australia.

“I’ve been in the business for 34 years and I’ve made sacrifices for my career, and my family understands that,” said Tulle, who is the national duty officer for the CIFFC.

“It’s for the better of all involved. We need to be there for each other.”

Fifty-one Canadian firefighting personnel have been sent to Australia this month, including three from Manitoba.

Newfoundland and Labrador, Quebec, Yukon, Ontario, Saskatchewan, Alberta, British Columbia, and Parks Canada have also sent firefighters.

The first group left on Dec. 3 for a 38-day deployment, and are currently working in New South Wales. The second group of 30 people left on Dec. 19, also headed for New South Wales. Most of the staff are in roles ranging from command, aviation and operations to planning, logistics, and fire behavior.

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Two more groups will be leaving Canada on Dec. 30 and Jan. 4, including two more Manitobans, making for a total of 89 Canadians assisting with the wildfire fighting efforts down under.

Many of them are sacrificing holiday time with friends and family to fight the flames.

“That means a lot, and it really is hard for them to pull away at a times like this,” said Dave Schafer, the director of the Manitoba Wildfire Service.

“It just shows the character of the individuals that put public service first, and their families that are supporting them.”

Australia has provided firefighting resources to Canada four times since 2015, so both Tulle and Schafer say this was a way to reciprocate.