Friday January 10, 2025 | VICTORIA, BC [Posted at 2:44 am | Updated January 13, 2025]
by Mary P Brooke | Island Social Trends
The devastating wildfires in the Greater Los Angeles area have been claiming properties and lives.
Canadian resources from various provinces are participating in helping with wildfire management and related efforts in the wildfire crisis in America’s most populous state (nearly 39 million people in 2023, approximately the entire population of Canada).
Yesterday BC Minister of Forests Ravi Parmar gave an update on BC Wildfire Service support for the firefighting efforts in the area of Los Angeles that is home and livelihood to over 10 million people.
Minister Parmar said that California approached the BC Wildfire Service on January 9 with a request for senior-level expertise to work with them on the frontline.
“California has supported us in our time of need, and we’re now able to reciprocate that support,” said Parmar in a social media post.
“This is of course a rapidly evolving situation, but we will deploy the resources that are partners need,” he said.
California’s ask of BC:
Today the BC Ministry of Forests issued this statement:
- Through BC Wildfire Service’s agreement with CAL FIRE, they have asked BC to send a senior management team. This is a team of highly trained technical staff who specialize in advanced planning, logistics, operations, aviation, fire weather, information, and other crucial roles. They are leaving imminently and will work hand in hand with California to provide support.
- We expect there to be around a dozen people on the team. However, numbers may increase from this first deployment – it’s a fluid situation and we’re ready to react and respond as needed. It’s expected to be at least a full two-week deployment.
- In addition to the senior management team, we are in the midst of working with our national partners to provide a crew of frontline wildland firefighters from BC.
Significant fires:
As of this morning at least 10 lives have been confirmed lost, with more reports are expected. The property loss is already being measured at about $60 billions.
The Kenneth fire exploded in a few hours. The Palisades and Eaton fires each appeared to have destroyed some 5,000 or more structures, officials said, which would put them both among the five most destructive fires in California history.
The smoke will be toxic as it contains particles of burnt homes and structures.
Climate change factor:
The exact cause of the massive wildfire is not yet determined. It could have been by natural causes or human-caused.
Either way, the massive wildfire developed in part due to dry winds. There has also reportedly been insufficient water supply for firefighting.
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said in national US media (in an interview with Jake Tapper on CNN on Thursday) that climate change leads to more extreme weather conditions that contribute to disasters as being seen now in the California wildfire crisis.
Canada-USA factor:
Trudeau said yesterday that Canada is mobilizing to help fight the wildfires in southern California, with Canadian water bombers are already in action and 250 firefighters are ready to deploy, as he stated in social media.
“The Canadian Armed Forces are standing by to move personnel and equipment. To our American neighbours: Canada’s here to help,” Trudeau said, in a way that underscores the Canada-USA relations that are being massaged during discussions about the tariffs that the US president-elect may soon impose on Canada.
Local firefighters:
“There has been no request from California for structural firefighters currently. So only BC Wildifre are sending personnel and equipment,” says Langford Fire Chief Chris Aubrey.
“”These are devastating fires that will take decades to recover from and I am hoping everyone who is there remains safe as the winds pick up again,” said Aubrey.
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