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Carnarvon firefighter among WA team voluteering to help battle Canadian forest fires

Headshot of Liam Beatty
Liam BeattyMidwest Times
A fire truck leads a bus down Main Street past damaged structures during a media tour in Lytton, British Columbia, on Friday, July 9, 2021, after a wildfire destroyed most of the village on June 30. (Darryl Dyck/The Canadian Press via AP)
Camera IconA fire truck leads a bus down Main Street past damaged structures during a media tour in Lytton, British Columbia, on Friday, July 9, 2021, after a wildfire destroyed most of the village on June 30. (Darryl Dyck/The Canadian Press via AP) Credit: AP

WA firefighters in a task force are flying across the world today to assist their Canadian colleagues who are battling forest fires amid unprecedented heatwaves.

Among the 17 men and women from across the State who put their hands up to join the effort is Carnarvon resident and district officer Matt Holland.

“They’re really suffering over there from heatwaves and an early start to their bushfire season,” he said.

Mid West Gascoyne district officer Matt Holland.
Camera IconMid West Gascoyne district officer Matt Holland. Credit: Supplied

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“They’ve come over to help during our bad fires, so it’s important we lend a hand back and give their local crew a bit of rest.”

This will be Mr Holland’s first visit to the great white north, although he doesn’t expect to spend much time sightseeing.

With his colleagues, he will be deployed to some of the hardest-hit areas in Canada, including Ontario and British Columbia, where a state of emergency was declared last week.

They will be assisting by taking on leadership and specialist roles including incident management and operations and planning for four weeks before they return home to a two-week stint in Sydney quarantine.

Mr Holland is leaving behind his wife and two children in Carnarvon for his longest time been away from them.

“We’ve already said our goodbyes, which was quite emotional,” he said.

“They’re supporting me and know this is something I need to do. “We’re bringing over our expertise in fighting large area fires and this will be an invaluable experience fight-ing fires in a different environment.”

Since June, more than 1 million hectares have been burnt across Canada from almost 4000 reported fires.

Emergency Services Minister Reece Whitby said WA residents knew all too well the toll of bushfires and were ready to lend a hand alongside firefighters from the US and Mexico.

“Australia has benefited from the generosity of Canadian firefighters in recent years, and this dedicated group is helping to return that favour by assisting fellow firefighters to protect communities,” he said.

Fire damage in Lytton, British Columbia, Canada.
Camera IconFire damage in Lytton, British Columbia, Canada. Credit: Darryl Dyck/AP

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