Australian firefighters headed to B.C. to help fight wildfires
A crew of Australian firefighters are on their way to British Columbia as the province battles hundreds of wildfires.
In total, 34 Australian firefighters are scheduled to arrive in Vancouver on Tuesday evening. The crew includes a nine-person management team, which includes specialised leadership workers and technical specialists.
"Australia and Canada have a long history of helping each other out when wildfire activity is high," said B.C. Minister of Forests Katrine Conroy in a release Monday.
"During this extremely challenging fire season, we greatly appreciate the support we’re receiving from Canadian provinces, the federal government and our partners abroad."
The Australian crews will live and work in "bubbles" to minimize COVID-19 risks while in B.C., according to the province.
In total, B.C. has 3,558 people currently involved in wildfire management, including 1,252 contractors.
Other out-of-province personnel include 101 firefighters from Mexico, 134 from Quebec, 61 from Alberta, one from Nova Scotia, 17 Parks Canada staff and approximately 90 Canadian Armed Forces members, with up to 160 more expected by Wednesday.
As of Sunday afternoon, there are 258 active wildfires burning across B.C., mostly in the Interior region.
Some 58 evacuation orders have been issued this summer, alongside 83 evacuation alerts due to wildfires.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
More than 115 cases of eye damage reported in Ontario after solar eclipse
More than 115 people who viewed the solar eclipse in Ontario earlier this month experienced eye damage after the event, according to eye doctors in the province.
Toxic testing standoff: Family leaves house over air quality
A Sherwood Park family says their new house is uninhabitable. The McNaughton's say they were forced to leave the house after living there for only a week because contaminants inside made it difficult to breathe.
Decoy bear used to catch man who illegally killed a grizzly, B.C. conservation officers say
A man has been handed a lengthy hunting ban and fined thousands of dollars for illegally killing a grizzly bear, B.C. conservation officers say.
B.C. seeks ban on public drug use, dialing back decriminalization
The B.C. NDP has asked the federal government to recriminalize public drug use, marking a major shift in the province's approach to addressing the deadly overdose crisis.
OPP responds to apparent video of officer supporting anti-Trudeau government protestors
The Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) says it's investigating an interaction between a uniformed officer and anti-Trudeau government protestors after a video circulated on social media.
An emergency slide falls off a Delta Air Lines plane, forcing pilots to return to JFK in New York
An emergency slide fell off a Delta Air Lines jetliner shortly after takeoff Friday from New York, and pilots who felt a vibration in the plane circled back to land safely at JFK Airport.
Sophie Gregoire Trudeau on navigating post-political life, co-parenting and freedom
Sophie Gregoire Trudeau says there is 'still so much love' between her and Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, as they navigate their post-separation relationship co-parenting their three children.
Last letters of pioneering climber who died on Everest reveal dark side of mountaineering
George Mallory is renowned for being one of the first British mountaineers to attempt to scale the dizzying heights of Mount Everest during the 1920s. Nearly a century later, newly digitized letters shed light on Mallory’s hopes and fears about ascending Everest.
Loud boom in Hamilton caused by propane tank, police say
A loud explosion was heard across Hamilton on Friday after a propane tank was accidentally destroyed and detonated at a local scrap metal yard, police say.