Fifteen Tasmanian firefighters who were sent to Canada to help battle out-of-control wildfires have returned home after a month-long deployment.
The firefighters from the state’s Parks and Wildlife Service (PWS) assisted their counterparts in Alberta and British Columbia, where blazes have scorched more than five million hectares.
PWS State Fire Manager Katy Edwards said she was proud that the organisation was able to provide significant assistance during a challenging time.
“The request for our PWS firefighters is a testament to the expertise and professionalism of the team, who are specially trained remote area firefighters and incident managers,” she said.
Ten of the firefighters took on remote firefighting roles, while the other five provided specialist support in incident management teams.
Tasmania is part of the National Resource Sharing Centre, which coordinates requests for support from other countries.
Australian fire services have assisted Canada and the United States numerous times since 2000, while international firefighters have also come to Australia’s aid in recent years.
Minister for Parks and the Environment Nick Duigan said the firefighters played a crucial role in the firefighting efforts.
“All of your hard work and skills have been appreciated,” he said.
“I want to pass on my gratitude and thanks to our PWS firefighters and IMT members Mark O’Brien, Larissa Giddings, Keegan Pope, Jerard Flakemore, Stuart Primrose, John Duggan, Rhys Wilson, Jason Moore, Robin Meyers, Aidan Munro, Ben Hill, Phil Gillingham, Nic Deka, Catherine Charlesworth and Ken Brooks.”
“Thank you for lending a helping hand and I know your friends and families will be very happy to have you back home.”
