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Chilean Firefighters Battle Wildfires in Canada

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After several days of work, the team of firefighters and professionals from the National Forestry Corporation (CONAF) deployed in Canada has been combating a complex of wildfires known as the Red Earth Complex in the province of Alberta, located in western Canada. This complex consists of 6 fires affecting an area of 137 thousand hectares.

This was reported from the North American country by Jorge Faúndez Pinilla, CONAF's liaison officer, who explained that the national detachment, which traveled on July 17, is composed of 62 people.

The group is mostly made up of firefighters responsible for containment and suppression tasks, "to prevent the fire from reaching the communities closest to the affected area, through work with hand tools and water lines," Faúndez explained. They are joined by 12 crew leaders, who oversee and are responsible for the safety and performance of the firefighters; 3 brigade leaders, in charge of the performance, safety, and well-being of their assigned crews; a field decision-making representative; and a liaison officer, who represents the team at the Canadian Interagency Forest Fire Centre, the organization coordinating international resources aiding in wildfire suppression.

It is worth noting that this year, Canada is facing a complex wildfire season, with over 500 active fires that have so far damaged nearly 6 million hectares.

To support control efforts, the Chilean team will remain abroad for 32 days. This is the second time CONAF has provided direct support to Canada in an emergency context. The first was in February 2023, an experience that marked the beginning of a structural collaboration relationship between the two countries in fire management.

The deployment is part of the Memorandum of Understanding signed on November 12, 2024, between Chile's Ministry of Agriculture and Canada's Ministry of Natural Resources, which established a cooperation framework for the exchange of resources and knowledge in wildfire management.

"In this way, Chile reaffirms its commitment to international cooperation and the protection of forest ecosystems worldwide, while consolidating CONAF's technical prestige and leadership in fire management," concluded CONAF's executive director, Rodrigo Illesca Rojas.