Montana sends firefighters to help fight Canadian wildfires

HELENA — Montana is sending wildland firefighters to help fight the wildfires currently burning in Canada.

The Montana Department of Natural Resources and Conservation deployed a Type 2 hand crew of 22 wildland firefighters to Alberta, Canada.

“The state of Montana is happy to help our neighbors to the north,” said Cory Calnan, deputy chief of the fire safety bureau. “We, as Montana residents, have benefited greatly from the benefits of the Northwest Compact and the ability to receive resources from Canada and other partner nations when we need additional resources, so we’re pleased to be able to return the favor.”

Crews are dispatched through the Northwest Wildland Fire Protection Agreement, also known as the Northwest Compact.

Founded in 1998, the Northwest Compact is an agreement between Canadian provinces and the states of Alaska, Idaho, Oregon, Washington and Montana. It enables member states, provinces and territories to jointly fight large-scale wildfires by sharing information, technology and resources across borders to ensure efficient containment.

Led by team boss AJ Angelo, Clearwater Unit fire safety officer, the hand team consists of department wildland firefighters from eight local units.

“The Department remains committed to collaborative efforts that strengthen the collective capacity to fight wildfires effectively,” said Cory Calnan. “We thank the Canadian Interagency Forest Fire Center and all of our partners in the Northwest Compact for their continued collaboration and support.”