Nova Scotia Sends Natural Resources Firefighters to Quebec

The Department of Natural Resources has sent 10 firefighters to Quebec to help control and extinguish numerous forest fires burning throughout the province.

The firefighters were sent to Val-d'Or on Friday as a sustained action crew, fighting fires that have been on-going. The Nova Scotia wildfire crews are expected to be on the ground for 14 to 19 days, depending on weather conditions.

"After having experienced two large fires in the past year, Nova Scotians certainly can appreciate the various resources required when fighting forest fires," said Natural Resources Minister John MacDonell. "We are pleased to be able to give back to those provinces who have helped us in the past."

The low level of fire concern across Nova Scotia allows resources to be lent to provinces in greater need.

The request for additional resources came from the Canadian Interagency Forest Fire Centre in Manitoba, an organization that co-ordinates wildland fire-control services around the country. Nova Scotia is a member of its Canadian Mutual Aid Resource Sharing Agreement, established in the early 1980s to ensure all provinces and territories will receive help if forest fires becomes too big for them to handle.