British Columbia's Wildfire Management Branch is sending 103 personnel to Washington to aid with a number of fire complexes.

Two agency representatives, four unit crews and 30 single resources, will depart today for Omak, Washington.

The request was made through the Northwest Compact Agreement, which allows for mutual resource-sharing between Washington, Oregon, Idaho, Montana, Alaska, the Yukon, the Northwest Territories, Alberta, Saskatchewan and British Columbia. All associated costs are covered by the receiving jurisdiction.

With the current and forecasted provincial fire situation, adequate resources remain in B.C. to respond appropriately to any activity. Crews can be deployed for up to 19 days, but can be recalled at any time.

Quick Facts:

• Agency representative: Act as the link between the deployed crews and the Wildfire Management Branch.
• Unit crews: Operate as 20-person crews and are typically deployed to larger fires. Unit crews are highly mobile. They establish pump and hose lines, dig fire guards and remove fuel from a wildfire's path using back burns.
• This is the sixth out-of-province deployment this year. Previous deployments have included sending resources to Manitoba, Quebec, Ontario, the Yukon, and Colorado.

Learn More:

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

You can also follow the latest B.C. wildfire news on -

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

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

Contact:

Melissa Welsh
Provincial Fire Information Officer
Ministry of Forests, Lands and Natural Resource Operations
250 312-3051