Nearly 700 more international firefighters coming to Canada to help battle fires

[applegrove]

Last edited Sat Jun 3, 2023, 03:13 PM - Edit history (1)

Nearly 700 more international firefighters coming to Canada to help battle fires
MIA RABSON
OTTAWA
THE CANADIAN PRESS
PUBLISHED 5 HOURS AGO

https://www.theglobeandmail.com/canada/article-nearly-700-more-international-firefighters-coming-to-canada-to-help/

"SNIP.........

Almost 700 firefighters from South Africa, Australia, New Zealand and the United States are set to arrive in Canada over the next two weeks to help with the unusually severe start to the wildfire season.

There are already more than 500 international firefighters, incident commanders and other workers in Alberta, and another 101 arrived from the U.S. Friday. Alberta has been battling multiple severe fires since early May and there are still 63 fires burning, 18 of them out of control.

The Canada Interagency Forest Fire Centre reported that as of Friday afternoon there were 324 fires burning across the country, and 167 are considered out of control. That includes the Tantallon fire in Halifax that has destroyed or damaged 151 homes so far.

That’s a big jump from Thursday, when the agency reported 209 fires, with 87 out of control.

.........SNIP"

Saturday: rain today will help a great deal.

[applegrove]

1. Thankfully they learnt from the fiasco a few years ago where they

trained South African firefighters and then tried to pay them **** wages. That was in Alberta. The South Africans demanded more money and were sent home. What a horrible thing to happen to such brave people. Thankfully they've ironed out that bull****.

[wnylib]

2. So many fires from west to east must be

affecting a huge number of people. Even those not in immediate fire danger will be affected by smoke damage or by air quality or both.

The last two mornings I noticed a haziness in the air here in western NY. There is no visible smoke in my area, just the hazy sky. I didn't know why until I read that the wildfires had spread to Ontario. I think that, for now, most of the smoke is being blown east of us into New England rather than south to my area, although Buffalo is reporting some visible smoke.

It's a new experience for me to feel affected by wildfires. It's always seemed like something that happens elsewhere. I guess more of us can get used to things like this as climate change continues.

How much worse it must be for people who need to flee and are losing their homes.

[Spazito]

3. Quebec is also suffering from wildfires as well...

so some of the smoke NY and other eastern States are having could be from there as well.

[wnylib]

4. Yes, I have read about the fires in Quebec, but

they are farther east from where I am. Prevailing winds here are usually west to east so places farther east of me in NY are experiencing smoke from Quebec. Ontario is closer to us here in western NY. Just across Lakes Erie and Ontario from us.

[Spazito]

5. That makes sense...

It's a tough time for so many.

[wnylib]

6. From what I've been reading, I'd be concerned about Ottawa.

Fires can spread quickly and they are not far from the capital.

[wnylib]

7. Wow! I just saw a Buffalo weather report that showed the

route of smoke coming across Canada from Alberta. THAT'S where western NY is getting the hazy skies from, not Ontario, according to the report. It is smoke from the Alberta fires that is high enough that we are not breathing it and it is not affecting air quality for us here.

[Spazito]

8. It's much better here, in Alberta, lately re the smoke...

It was 10+ on the scale a little over a week ago. Even with my windows and patio door shut tight the smoke still penetrated my home, it was awful.

There are fewer out of control fires here now and they are more north than before but we are about to enter multiple days of high temperatures which will certainly make it more worrisome.

[wnylib]

9. That must be awful. I've never lived in

an area affected by massive wild fires. Around here there are occasionally some brush fires in open fields when it's dry here, but they are easily controlled. There are plenty of trees and a national forest about 80 miles away, but no fires that have ever been a threat.

What do you do inside when the smoke gets into your home? Sounds like you would need to run an air purifier.

[Spazito]

10. It didn't get to the point of being intolerable, you could just smell it...

and, because it contained fine particles, there were times I wore a mask which helped. I wore a mask when I needed to go onto my patio to water my planters as well. An air purifier would definitely been helpful, it's something I will seriously consider buying.