‘They represent the very best of Mexico’: second batch of wildfire fighters arrive in B.C.

“We will by the end of this week have just over 500 out-of-province professionals in total that have arrived in British Columbia and will be working on fires throughout the province,” Parmar added.

The first batch of Mexican firefighters arrived on B.C. Day Monday (Aug. 3) and they were sent to the Clinton area. This latest group will be heading to the Brunswick complex fires in the Fraser Canyon.

“A number of weeks ago, the [BC Wildfire Service] identified this was going to be a challenging August for British Columbia and they put out the request to the international firefighting centre for additional resources,” Premier David Eby said at Abbotsford Airport Thursday.

“Mexico heard the call and, as you can see, has stepped up in a significant way.”

“To the members of the Mexican wildfire crew, I extend our deepest gratitude and admiration,” Julián Adem Díaz de León, the Consul General of Mexico in Vancouver, added. “Their willingness to answer the call to serve beyond our borders is a testament to their professionalism, courage and unwavering commitment to protecting lives, forests and communities regardless of borders.”

“They represent the very best of Mexico.”

In some cases, these out-of-province firefighters will be relieving burnt out BC Wildfire Service firefighters, allowing those provincial crews to get some much needed rest before they return to the frontlines.

“It’s always welcome to have people from out of province and other countries not only just for extra help on the ground but also for the knowledge transfer and the training opportunities that present itself,” BC Wildfire Service information officer Aydan Coray said. “The Canadian Interagency Forest Fire Centre has been a great help and a great support to help get us more resources.”

Both Eby and Parmar says B.C. is well-resourced to tackle what’s been a demanding wildfire season. However, they also note that planning is already underway, should things get worse as expected.

“It’s not a matter about us picking up the phone and saying tomorrow we need resources from Mexico, from Australia or let alone Quebec,” Parmar said. “We are having these conversations weeks in advance and we are already starting conversations with other jurisdictions about maybe some resources that they can send.”

“At this point, we are well-resourced, we are providing more resources and if there is a need for more resources, we will access those.”

by Victor Kaisar

‘They represent the very best of Mexico’: second batch of wildfire fighters arrive in B.C.

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