Seven forest firefighters from the Department of Fisheries, Forestry and Agriculture departed for Thunder Bay, Ontario today, to assist with ongoing efforts to suppress forest fires currently impacting the northern region of that province.

Newfoundland and Labrador firefighters will join other personnel from Atlantic Canada to form a 17-person, sustained action crew. It is anticipated the deployment will last for two weeks.

The request for assistance was administered through the Canadian Interagency Forest Fire Centre, Mutual Aid Resource Sharing (MARS) agreement. This agreement between provinces provides for the efficient sharing of forest firefighting resources where required throughout the country.

Adequate fire suppression resources remain in place throughout Newfoundland and Labrador to manage forest fires. This includes a fleet of four water bombers, several helicopters and fire-fighting staff strategically located throughout the province.

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“We are happy to support our colleagues in other parts of the country where they have been working tirelessly to combat fires in recent weeks. I commend our dedicated team of professionals for stepping up and assisting their fellow forest firefighters, and the people of Ontario during these challenging times.”
Honourable Derrick Bragg
Minister of Fisheries, Forestry and Agriculture

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Media contact
Craig Renouf
Fisheries, Forestry and Agriculture
637-2923, 640-6922
craigrenouf@gov.nl.ca