N.S. Lands And Forestry Firefighters

USPA NEWS - Nova Scotia has sent twenty-three Nova Scotia Department of Lands and Forestry wildland firefighters to help out in other provinces where forest fires are burning out of control at this time. The firefighters departed Halifax Stanfield International Airport on Friday July 16th.

The Government of Nova Scotia released the following statement on Thursday July 15, 2021. "Nova Scotia has answered the call to help fight wildfires in Ontario, Manitoba and British Columbia. Twenty-three Department of Lands and Forestry wildland firefighters and one agency representative will fight alongside other crews to gain control of forest fires that are currently burning out of control. They will join other Atlantic Canadian firefighters to form two seventeen-person crews headed to Thunder Bay, Ontario, and Winnipeg, Manitoba. Nova Scotia also sent one fire investigator to British Columbia last week. Current fire conditions in Nova Scotia allow for resources to be shared. The Department of Lands and Forestry will ensure proper firefighting resources are maintained within the province. Nova Scotia is a member of the Canadian Mutual Aid Resource Sharing Agreement, which ensures all provinces and territories will receive help if forest fires become too large to handle. The affected province covers the costs of the jurisdictions that are sending help."

For most of these firefighters this is not the first time that they have answered the call of duty to assist in fighting fires in other jurisdictions. In fact, Jamie Brown, pictured on the left, has been on at least ten of these missions. On each mission he has carried an elephant doll named Ellie that his daughter gave him to keep him safe on these dangerous missions. Speaking for all Nova Scotians we wish all our firefighters a successful mission and safe return to their families.