Another six Sask. firefighters set to battle blazes in Australia

Saskatchewan is sending six more firefighters to Australia to help battle wildfires in that country.

The Saskatchewan Public Safety Agency (SPSA) announced Friday it was dispatching what it called “wildland fire management staff” to New South Wales for a deployment of 38 days. They’re to join 24 other members of the Canadian Interagency Forest Fire Centre (CIFFC) team in this contingent.

It’s the second time in three weeks that Canadians have been sent to Australia under the Exchange of Wildland Fire Management Resources Agreement. A team of 21 Canadian firefighters — including two from Saskatchewan — were sent to New South Wales on Dec. 3.

The CIFFC responded to a request for help from the National Resource Sharing Centre in Melbourne. The Canadians are filling operational, planning and aviation roles to battle fires along the eastern part of Australia.

“Having Australia request more support not only shows how bad these wildfires are, it also demonstrates the quality of our staff,” SPSA president Marlo Pritchard said in a media release. “It also exemplifies the fact that Saskatchewan is a province of people that are willing to step up when others are in need.”

Wildfires have been burning in New South Wales for the past two months. On Thursday, a state of emergency was declared — the second such declaration in two months.

In New South Wales alone, eight people — including two volunteer firefighters from Australia — have died. More than 5.3 million acres have been burned and more than 800 homes have been destroyed.

Nearly 100 wildfires are still active in the state.