Tasmania has responded to a national call for assistance with firefighting operations in Canada as wildfires in the region continue to intensify.
Two firefighters from Tasmania Parks and Wildlife Service (PWS) departed from Launceston Airport this morning, joining a contingent of 119 personnel from Australia and New Zealand to support their Canadian counterparts.
Tasmania is part of the National Resource Sharing Centre, which requested support from all states and territories to bolster the firefighting response in Canada.
Minister for Parks and Environment, Nick Duigan, and PWS State Fire Manager, Katy Edwards, farewelled PWS fire personnel Rhys Wilson and Ken Brooks and wished them a safe deployment.
"The Tasmanian Government thanks Rhys and Ken for their commitment and service to the international firefighting community and we look forward to welcoming them home toward the end of August," Minister Duigan said.
"Their specialist skills and experience responding to fires in the Tasmanian wilderness will be a valuable asset in the Canadian landscape. Our thoughts are with all those in Canada affected by the wildfires and also the crews on the ground battling to keep the community safe."
PWS State Fire Manager Katy Edwards said this was the second time that Rhys and Ken, who are arduous-rated firefighters, had been deployed to Canada.
"We are proud to be part of this deployment and ready to assist our friends in Canada, who have been battling extreme fire conditions for weeks," Ms Edwards said.
"Canada's national fire preparedness level has moved to level 5, which is the highest level, with more than 460 fires burning out of control and 1.6 million hectares affected. We're anticipating the need for further deployments in the coming days as conditions are expected to worsen."
Australia has an ongoing mutual fire management arrangement with Canada which allows for the exchange of personnel, resources, and technology when required.
Australian fire services have supported Canada and the United States numerous times since 2000, most recently last year, and this support has been reciprocated with Australia over several summers.
