B.C. is sending another 81 firefighting personnel to Ontario, Forests, Lands and Natural Resource Operations Minister Steve Thomson announced today.

Four 20-person unit crews and one agency representative will be deployed to Ontario on May 30. Crews will be departing from Prince George and Kamloops. The unit crews are from the Kamloops, Prince George and Southeast fire centres.

This is the second deployment to Ontario, bringing the total number of personnel deployed there this season to 183. In the past two weeks, B.C. has also sent 299 personnel to assist with firefighting efforts in Quebec.

The Wildfire Management Branch always maintains adequate firefighting capacity to respond to current conditions in B.C. Deployed personnel can be recalled at any time.

Costs associated with the deployment will be covered by Ontario under the Mutual Aid Resource Sharing Agreement, which allows for the movement of firefighting resources throughout Canada.

Learn More:

For information on the firefighting situation in Ontario, visit: http://www.mnr.gov.on.ca/en/Business/AFFM/2ColumnSubPage/268862.html

For the latest information on fire activity, conditions and prohibitions in B.C., visit: www.bcwildfire.ca

You can also follow the latest B.C. wildfire news:

On Twitter at: http://twitter.com/BCGovFireInfo

On Facebook at: http://facebook.com/BCForestFireInfo

Media Contact:

Erin Catherall
Provincial Fire Information Officer
Wildfire Management Branch
250 319-2480