Canadian teams are being used in the fight against the forest fires which are devastating parts of Los Angeles, in a deployment which demonstrates the expertise and sovereignty of Canada, indicated Tuesday the Minister of Civil Protection, Harjit Sajjan.
Mr. Sajjan said there had been “no hesitation” in answering the call for help, with more than 60 front-line Canadian firefighters heading to Los Angeles in recent days.
“It’s just a reminder to everyone of what good neighbors do,” he said.
Canadian support for Los Angeles demonstrates the close ties between the two countries, the minister said, despite U.S. President-elect Donald Trump’s recent tariff threat and his assertion that Canada would be better off as the 51st state.
Asked if he viewed Canada’s support for Los Angeles as a demonstration of Canadian sovereignty given Mr. Trump’s remarks, Mr. Sajjan nodded.
“There is absolutely no mistake regarding our sovereignty,” he replied.
“It is, I think, a reminder of our sovereignty, but it is also a reminder of the closeness of our relations and the closeness of our collaboration,” added Harjit Sajjan.
Canadian personnel deployed to Los Angeles include firefighters from Alberta and British Columbia, technical personnel specializing in logistics, aviation and fire weather, as well as water bomber teams from Quebec.
In addition to the Quebec government planes, helicopters belonging to Coulson Aviation, based in British Columbia, were also deployed.
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said in a social media post that he spoke with Canada’s consul general in Los Angeles on Tuesday, and that Canadian firefighters were “on the ground working side by side with crews Americans and help wherever they can.
“We are proud to help our American friends, and we thank the first responders who are working under the most difficult conditions to save homes and bring people to safety,” he wrote.
British Columbia Forestry Minister Ravi Parmar said in a social media post that a team of 12 specialists from the province’s wildfire service arrived in Los Angeles on Saturday, while 22 firefighters were going there, a trip expected to last two days.
He said he met with B.C. Wildfire Service staff Monday “to discuss the impacts of the California fires and how they inform B.C.’s preparations” for the fire season. fires of 2025.
Harjit Sajjan added that more teams in the Atlantic provinces, Quebec and Ontario were preparing for potential deployment if more help was needed.
“The Ontario government actually acted very quickly and prepared urban firefighters, about 300 if necessary,” he noted. “Alberta has proposed additional aircraft with night vision capability. So that’s what we’re putting on the table.”
The Minister of Civil Protection also specified that Canadian officials want American authorities to know that, if the situation worsens, Canada has a “series of resources ready to intervene” to react.
Wildfires around Los Angeles have killed at least 24 people, destroyed more than 12,000 buildings and burned more than 100 square miles of land in less than a week.
Strong winds expected to reach hurricane force in some areas have tested firefighting efforts.
More than 75,000 homes, mostly in Los Angeles County, were without power Tuesday morning due to high winds, according to Southern California Edison, which cut power to high-risk areas to prevent their lines from tripping. new fires.
— With archives from the Associated Press
Related News :