Alberta welcomed fire fighters from Ontario who will be helping to battle wildfires across the province.
According to officials about 100 fire fighters arrived on Saturday and have already been bussed out to where they will be needed.
“The Ontario fire fighters are going to go all across Alberta. Wherever there is most need,” Wildlife information officer Whitney Exton explained.
She said bringing help from other provinces was something that was often done.
“We actually have agreements in place all across North America.
“So we send fire fighters out and we bring them in almost every year.”
One of those is Matthew Krummenacher who told CTV News this would be the first time he was on the front lines.
“We’ve had lots of training since I’ve been on, working hard so I think I am prepared and ready.”
Most of the man power was expected to be sent to battle the Red Deer Creek blaze that sparked an evacuation order earlier in the week.
The order was issued in the MD of Greenview No. 16 due to a serious fire at the B.C. border.
That fire was one of two that Alberta listed as out of control, the second was near Edson. In total 10 wildfires have been burning across the province.
According to Exton, about 60 per cent of the fires that have started this year were caused by people.
Courtney Askin said she has been battling fires for about eight years but this will be her first time in Alberta.
“It’s daunting for sure until you get into the grove and you figure out what it is that you have to accomplish while you are here.”
She said no two fires were the same.
“You come together and make action plans with your planning and operations chief and you hope for the best.”
Askin also said they were aware that people’s homes and livelihoods were at stake and kept that in mind while on the job.
“We come together when we need to and we make the resources that we have work to get the job done.”
Crews from central and eastern Canada have also been called in to help in B.C. where more than 150 fires have been burning; 17 have been considered major and about 10 of them have been threatening homes.
With files from Sarah Richter
