As Oregon prepares for its summer wildfire season, Canada is in the middle of battling their own wildfire season.
Fires are raging in Alberta, Canada, and a crew of Oregon firefighters were sent up there to help. Firefighters from Oregon have been helping with everything from logistics to aviation support. As of May 30, they’re battling the Pembina Wildfire Complex which is burning more than 500,000 acres. Those firefighters were sent up to Canada as part of the Northwest Compact. Oregon has been a member for 25 years, and the compact includes Washington, Idaho, Montana, Alaska and Canada in addition to Oregon.
The goal of the compact is to bring in help when it’s most needed and fires are overwhelming fire resources.