Toronto/CMEDIA: With California battling unprecedented wildfires, which have displaced more than 100,000 residents and left five people dead, Ontario premier Ford said during a news conference Thursday afternoon that more than 150 Ontario firefighters are standing by and ready to be deployed there.
“Our closest friend and our closest ally needs help, and we’re going to make sure we’re going to be there to support them,” Ford said.
Acknowledging the firefighters as absolute heroes, the premier called the situation in California a tragedy and said two water bombers and pilots, 165 urban firefighters, and 20 additional emergency response personnel are available to head west, should they be called upon adding that the province could send up to 300 additional firefighters to help if necessary.
Since Tuesday, about 130,000 people have been told to evacuate their homes as massive fires set Hollywood Hills ablazed.
Officials say hurricane-level winds observed earlier this week propelled fires from one neighbourhood to another and contributed to the spread of fires in Southern California.
The fires have already burned an area roughly the size of the city of San Francisco and the blaze in Pacific Palisades has been declared the most destructive in Los Angeles history.
So far, two Canadian-made CL-415 planes belonging to the Quebec government as well as some helicopters belonging to B.C.-based Coulson Aviation have been sent to California to provide support.
