The Canadian Armed Forces (CAF) has deployed 450 members to the Northwest Territories and 38 personnel to British Columbia as wildfires continue to rage across western and northern Canada.
While announcing the CAF deployment in Parliament on Aug. 21, Defence Minister Bill Blair characterized the situation in N.W.T. as “quite concerning,” but said there were signs the wildfires were beginning to “stabilize.” He said 450 members have been deployed to the region to assist with logistics, firefighting, and some airlift capabilities.
In B.C., Mr. Blair said the prime minister has approved the use of Vernon Cadet Training Centre to stage firefighters and receive evacuees. The 38 CAF members deployed to the province are conducting reconnaissance and provisioning for airlift services, according to Mr. Blair.
“At this present time, British Columbia has not requested those services, but we want to make sure that they are available,” he said.
Additionally, Mr. Blair said CAF members have been deployed into all of the emergency management offices, both provincial and regional, “to ensure that when and if those resources are required that we make them available.”
The minister said the federal government has begun to “think very clearly” about how to support the over 29,000 people under evacuation orders in British Columbia, and the 19,000 evacuees from the Northwest Territories.
“We are thinking about how we can assist and support those people as they return to their communities, to make sure that the power goes back on, the cell service works, and they can resume normal life as soon as the threat of the wildfires passes,” he said.
“The prime minister has been very clear to all of us, that we will lean in and do everything that is necessary to support people.”
