Alberta to send 40 wildland firefighters to battle L.A. fires
Posted January 12, 2025 10:55 am.
The Alberta government says it will be sending supplies and crews to Los Angeles to help tackle the fires.
Minister of Forestry and Parks Todd Loewen said on social media that Alberta will ship 40 wildland firefighters to L.A.
“I have spoken directly to Cal Fire and to the Governor’s Office of Emergency Services to assure them that Alberta is prepared to support them in their ongoing efforts,” he said.
“Additional Type 1 firefighters, incident command personnel, and qualified support staff are ready to go if requested.”
He also says Alberta is prepping water bombers, pilots, and night vision helicopters to send south.
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau posted a video of a water bomber on X over the weekend, saying Canadians are “Always here to help our American friends.”
Alberta joins several other provinces, including water bombing pilots and crews from Quebec and British Columbia who have been fighting the wind-whipped flames.
Toronto Mayor Olivia Chow said she will be sending 100 firefighters on standby and won’t impact service in the city.
Meanwhile, the Ontario government says they are sending a fire brigade to prevent more devastation, with around 165 urban firefighters with equipment.
At the federal level, Canada’s minister of national defence has approved a request to deploy the Royal Canadian Airforce to get 250 firefighters and equipment to California, where emergency crews and organizations have been working tirelessly since the wildfires erupted on Jan. 7.
With files from Denio Lourenco and Michelle Mackey
