NSW firefighters to help Canada battle wildfires

The Australian taskforce will consist of 48 firefighters, including 19 NSW Rural Fire Service (RFS) and Fire and Rescue NSW personnel.

In Canada the firefighters will fill incident management and specialist positions, including incident control, operations, public information, logistics, aviation and fire behaviour analysis.

Minster for Emergency Services Troy Grant said the deployment would give firefighters in Canada some respite.

“NSW always stands ready to lend our friends overseas a helping hand in their time of need,” Mr Grant said.

“Sadly, our state knows all too well the destruction that bush fires can cause and we are more than willing to share our firefighting experience and expertise whenever and wherever necessary.”

The taskforce will be in Canada for up to 42 days.