Alberta firefighters leave for Los Angeles to help battle wildfires
Posted January 13, 2025 9:38 am.
Last Updated January 13, 2025 9:40 am.
Forty Alberta wildland firefighters left Edmonton Monday morning en route to California to help battle the deadly wildfires that have wreaked havoc in and around Los Angeles.
The two wildfire crews departed Alberta and are expected to arrive in California “within the next few days.”
The Alberta government previously announced it was sending the crews, which include two agency representatives, to the U.S. The province also says it is ready to deploy, if needed, water bombers, pilots, and contracted night vision helicopters.
“In 2023, California firefighters bravely supported Alberta in a time of great need,” Minister of Forestry and Parks Todd Loewen said in a news release. “Now, Alberta is answering the call and has stepped up to assist our neighbours.
“Alberta has experience and expertise in battling wildfires, and we’re committed to supporting our friends and partners in the United States.”
California’s wildfire management agency will determine where the 40 Alberta crew members are deployed, the province says.
The massive fires have killed at least 24 people and destroyed thousands of homes, while 150,000 people in Los Angeles County are under evacuation orders.
Alberta crews are sent to California every fall as part of an annual contract that has been in place for more than 30 years.
–With files from The Canadian Press
