Canada’s emergency preparedness minister says Canadian army personnel, their tools and one other 250 firefighters stand “able to help our American neighbours” as wildfires devastate components of Southern California.
Canada’s emergency preparedness minister says Canadian army personnel, their tools and one other 250 firefighters stand “able to help our American neighbours” as wildfires devastate components of Southern California.
Harjit Sajjan says in a social media submit that “Crew Canada, with Ontario, Quebec and Alberta, is able to deploy 250 firefighters, plane tools and different assets as early as” Thursday evening.
In the meantime, British Columbia Forests Minister Ravi Parmar stated in a submit on X that “California got here to B.C. instantly” on Thursday to request “senior-level experience” to work with U.S. officers “on the entrance line.”
“California has supported us in our time of want, and we’re now capable of reciprocate that help,” Parmar stated.
“That is in fact a quickly evolving state of affairs, however we are going to deploy the assets that our companions want.”
The pledges come because the Canadian Interagency Forest Fireplace Centre stated Thursday that the U.S. Nationwide Interagency Fireplace Centre requested for 2 of its CL-415 Skimmer Airtankers to affix the battle in opposition to the fires.
“The request is being actioned however the supply timeline is at the moment unavailable,” the company stated in an electronic mail to The Canadian Press. “We’re additionally proactively working to establish potential useful resource availability, ought to extra requests are available in.
“The Canadian Interagency Forest Fireplace Centre extends its deepest condolences to all these affected by the continuing wildfire state of affairs in California. Canadians stay prepared and keen to help as requested.”
Canadians caught within the fast-moving wildfires in Los Angeles — together with a number of celebrities — described scenes of panic and horror as 1000’s of buildings go up in flames.
Romeo Petit, a Winnipeg firefighter, was staying within the foothills on the outskirts of Pasadena when he, his girlfriend and others have been informed to evacuate Tuesday. Winds have been whipping embers in every single place and the hearth was transferring quick.
“We might see the flames. I’ve by no means seen something prefer it. It was a wall of flame,” Petit recalled in a cellphone interview Thursday.
After grabbing gadgets from the house and taking them to security, Petit’s coaching kicked in.
He, his girlfriend and a good friend went again and tried to guard the house they have been staying in and different homes by dousing them with water from hoses and sprinklers.
“We grabbed no matter hose we might discover and did what we needed to do,” Petit stated.
They stayed for a number of hours, wetting lawns and houses, he recalled, and left when it seemed like the one street out was at risk of being reduce off.
In the long run, many homes within the fast space have been spared.
Officers have stated hurricane-force winds started igniting one neighbourhood after one other on Wednesday within the coastal space of Pacific Palisades and in Altadena, close to Pasadena.
A brand new hearth began Thursday within the San Fernando Valley close to the West Hills neighbourhood and near Ventura County, whereas Los Angeles County officers stated the Eaton hearth close to Pasadena has burned as many as 5,000 buildings, together with autos.
Hundreds extra have been burned in Pacific Palisades, and 5 individuals have died thus far — a quantity anticipated to rise as cadaver canine and search crews search by rubble, stated Los Angeles County Sheriff Robert Luna.
Greater than 100,000 individuals have been compelled from their houses and well-known landmarks have come underneath menace.
Toronto-born multidisciplinary artist Krys Tabujara stated they needed to evacuate their Los Feliz house, close to the Hollywood Hills, after a hearth broke out close by Wednesday.
“I’ve never experienced a fire so close, especially with how big they were growing and so quickly,” stated Tabujara, who has been dwelling in L.A. for eight years.
“It was really wild. I was like, ‘I’m not sticking around for this.’”
Tabujara additionally described a sky thick with black smoke as they drove to San Diego to stick with household for the evening.
“The sky looked really apocalyptic,” they said. “There was ash in the air like it was snowing. The sunset looked like something from Star Wars.”
Pacific Palisades resident Nadia Williamson stated Thursday she discovered her house burned down after receiving a picture of what was left of her property.
“Where my house is, there’s just a chimney standing there,” Williamson stated in a cellphone interview from Los Angeles.
“It appears just like the apocalypse.”
A number of Canadian entertainers within the space have additionally been affected, as “Star Trek: Discovery” actor Elias Toufexis stated he was compelled from his Calabasas house because of small fires on the high of his road.
Toufexis described flames pushed by winds so sturdy that they virtually knocked him over.
“I weigh 200 kilos. I stepped out of my home and I used to be getting knocked over,” he stated.
Canadian media persona George Stroumboulopoulos stated eight individuals, two canine and a cat took refuge in his Los Angeles house after he opened his doorways to pals caught within the wildfires.
Stroumboulopoulos stated he has no plans to go away except compelled to evacuate.
“Nobody knocked on my door final evening to ask me to go away,” he stated. “They knocked on the door to come back in. And I believe that is why we keep.”
Again in Canada, Alberta is making ready to ship water bombers, night-vision helicopters and incident command staff help.
Premier Danielle Smith stated on social media that the province was working with the company and the federal authorities to evaluate California’s wants.
“Good neighbours are at all times there for one another in instances of want, and we are going to help our American pals in any method they want throughout this disaster,” Smith stated.
Smith has been on a latest appeal offensive with American media retailers and elected officers, emphasizing the sturdy ties between Canada and the USA.
She has been cautious to not denounce president-elect Donald Trump’s menace of tariffs on Canadian imports or a declaration that he intends to annex Canada by “financial power.”
Different provinces have additionally provided assist to battle the fires ravaging components of Los Angeles.
Water-bombing pilots and crews from Quebec and a British Columbia firm are already preventing the wind-whipped flames.
— With recordsdata from Darryl Greer in Vancouver, Jeremy Simes in Regina, Steve Lambert in Winnipeg and Nicole Thompson and Alex Nino Gheciu in Toronto
This report by The Canadian Press was first printed Jan. 9, 2025.
The Canadian Press
