A fresh group of more than 100 firefighters from WA and New Zealand are off to the US to reinforce an Australian-Kiwi presence already there.
The WA Government says a 46-strong team left Perth today (August 10) for a briefing in Sydney before flying onto Idaho.
Already, 187 Australian and Kiwi firefighters are fighting the fires; the group features a strong emphasis on incident management skills at the request of North American agencies.
During their 35-day deployment, the WA group’s duties will include frontline firefighting and incident management roles such as leading strike teams and analysing fire behaviour. They are due to return in early September.
LATEST DATA: In the US, eight fresh large fires have broken out with 94 fires fought by 29,000 firefighters and 8.8 million hectares burnt. In Canada, there are four new fires, 621 are burning and more than four million hectares have burnt; there has been one reported death.
WA SENDS FRESH GROUP
WA Emergency Services Minister Reece Whitby says more than 200 of the state’s firefighters have been sent to North America since 2021.
“This latest deployment reflects a long-standing commitment to support North America during its challenging (bushfire) wildfire season,” he says.
This is the third deployment of WA crews to North America this year; seven personnel went sent to the US in July and two to Canada last week.
WA Fire and Emergency Services Commissioner Darren Klemm says: “Fifteen of the personnel deployed are DFES volunteers who are putting their careers on hold to assist communities in crisis.
“Crews in the US are facing extreme heat, strong winds and erratic fire behaviour; so far this year, more than two million hectares have been burnt across the country.
“Our US counterparts requested experienced personnel capable of operating firefighting appliances in tough terrain, as well as skilled leaders and experts in fire behaviour. That’s exactly what we are delivering.”
The deployments are being co-ordinated by the Australian and New Zealand Council for Fire and Emergency Services (or AFAC).
Last week, AFAC sent a 41-strong, fresh Australian and NZ group to Canada for five weeks in addition to 74 that have gone since July 11
NZ SENDS LARGE GROUP
Meanwhile, Fire and Emergency NZ (FENZ) say they are sending a fresh 57-strong group of firefighters tomorrow (August 11) to the US north-west.
Of the 57-strong group, five are military, 43 from FENZ, four from the Department of Conservation and five are from forestry companies.
Forestry worker Jarron McInnes from Rotorua says his group possess chainsaw skills, experience (including with Australian fires) and expertise.
“It’s their chainsaw skills where they really shine – tree felling, cutting fire breaks and fire lines,” he says of his group.
FENZ says the team will fulfill multiple roles such as firefighters and crewing fire engines to chainsaw specialists and include incident management roles such as helibase managers, logistics and liaison officers.
The NZ agency says the firefighters are experienced working in arduous conditions, including steep terrain and high temperatures, and living in fire camps in remote areas.
The Conservation group has extensive experience in bushfire suppression and are skilled in advanced and hazardous tree felling, it adds.
NZ already has fire crews working on fires in Washington, Oregon and British Columbia (Canada).
FRESH NEWS: Coulson Aviation, who supply aerial firetankers to Australia, have just acquired 10 more former Canadian Hercules aircraft. The additions double their fleet of the four-engined transport to 20 and will be converted so they can deliver more than 15,000 litres of water or fire retardant. (On January 23, 2020, a Coulson Hercules deployed to Australia crashed while fighting fires in southern NSW, killing all three crew members.)
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