Firefighters from Forest Fire Management Victoria (FFMVic) will begin their journey to Canada on Sunday 8 June to support the ongoing fire response in the province of Alberta.
21 personnel from FFMVic will depart Victoria for Brisbane, where they will be briefed before then travelling to Canada on Sunday to begin their month-long deployment. Two firefighters will be travelling from Albury and the rest from Melbourne.
These Victorians will be working alongside contingents of Australians from other states. The 21 personnel include one taskforce of arduous firefighters (20 people) and one agency representative.
The fire situation in Canada has become worse over recent weeks, with more than one hundred fires burning across the country and thousands evacuated. The country is now at National Preparedness Level five, the highest level.
Emergency services face specific challenges, such as the terrain and conditions, which Victorian crews are well suited to tackle. FFMVic arduous firefighters have extensive experience in difficult and remote-area firefighting.
This is the third consecutive year that Victoria has supported the wildfire response in Canada.
In 2024, 26 personnel from FFMVic and CFA travelled to British Columbia, Alberta and Manitoba with several large fires. In 2023, 115 Victorians supported Canada’s firefighting efforts as over 420 fires raged across the country, while Canadian firefighters have supported Victorian firefighting efforts in the past, including during the 2019-20 bushfires.
Quotes attributable to Acting Emergency Management Commissioner, Tim Wiebusch ESM:
“Thank you to our dedicated Victorian firefighters and personnel who are yet again travelling to assist our Canadian counterparts to provide some much-needed support.”
“Our crews are highly skilled and experienced in responding to fires in challenging terrain. It’s great we can continue to support Canada when they need it the most, as they have done for us previously.”
Quotes attributable to FFMVic Chief Fire Officer, Chris Hardman AFSM:
“FFMVic is proud to send a taskforce of 20 arduous firefighters to help our Canadian firefighting colleagues as they respond to wildfires. Just as they have had our backs in 2019-20 during Black Summer when we needed support, now we have theirs.”
“The terrain may be challenging and the trees and wildlife are very different but FFMVic staff are experienced in fighting fires in these conditions.”
“The exchange of personnel, skills and mutual support during an emergency has been in place between Australia and Canada for more than 15 years.”
