The federal government has approved a request for the Canadian Armed Forces to help Nova Scotia fight wildfires as the eastern province, like other parts of the country, faces a “dangerous” season this year.
International firefighters are also coming into the country to help with Canada’s “unprecedented” wildfire situation with blazes in eight jurisdictions promoting the evacuation of tens of thousands of people.
Federal ministers made the announcement at a news conference in Ottawa Thursday, expressing concern about the early onset of the wildfire season and the ongoing risks to Canadians.
Nova Scotia is the second province to receive federal assistance for wildfires this year after Alberta, where a provincial state of emergency is in effect.
“As of this morning, I can confirm that we have approved a request for assistance from the province of Nova Scotia that we received yesterday,” Blair said.
Canadian Armed Forces will aid provincial emergency management officials with planning and coordination supports, ignition specialist personnel and equipment, and other firefighting resources.
“These additional firefighting resources will be used to relieve firefighters who’ve been working tirelessly around the clock to protect communities right across Nova Scotia,” he said.
More than 300 firefighters from the United States and South Africa are also heading to Canada in the coming days.
About 100 American firefighters are set to arrive in Nova Scotia by Monday, June 5, to help knock down out-of-control wildfires that have destroyed at least 200 homes and cottages, federal officials said Thursday.
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Another 200 firefighters arriving from South Africa will likely end up in Alberta, though officials say the wildfire situation in the country is fluid.
This is in addition to more than 400 international firefighters from the U.S., Australia and New Zealand that have already assisted Canada since the start of the season.
To further help with the wildfire mitigation efforts, Ottawa will provide training to more than 300 Indigenous firefighters and 125 Indigenous fire guardians.
Across the country, there are currently 211 wildfires burning, including 82 out of control, Blair said.
So far this year, 1,826 wildfires have already burned 2.7 million hectares of land — which is equivalent to over five million football fields.
“These conditions this early in the season are unprecedented,” Blair said, adding that Canada is facing a “dangerous” situation.
“Due to climate change, similar extreme weather events may continue to increase in both frequency and severity across our country.”
Natural Resources Minister Jonathan Wilkinson also said that climate change is driving the increase in the intensity and number of wildfires, as the country faces “very challenging circumstances” this year.
“It is a simple fact that Canada is experiencing the impacts of climate change, including more frequent and more extreme wildfires,” he said.
“Certainly, we are very concerned about the situation this year in many parts of the country.”
— with files from The Canadian Press