The Northeast Forest Fire Protection Compact sends Incident Management Team to White Court, Alberta
Iosegun Fire, Alberta: app 1,000 hectares/2,471 acres upon IMT arrivalUsing its agreement with CIFFC to mobilize the Incident Mangement Team, NFFPC Executive Director Tom Parent reported that personnel from five of its member agencies: New York, Maine, New Brunswick, Nova Scotia and New Foundland/Labrador left last week to assist at Alberta's IOSEGUN FIRE. A second IMT will be mobilized this week. It will be comprised of members from New Hampshire, Maine, New Brunswick, Nova Scotia and New Foundland/Labrador.
The Northeast Forest Fire Protection Compact has crossed international lines in the past.
- it has sent crews to Canada almost annually since 2005.
- a team member from Maine was sent to British Columbia with a New Brunswick IMT about 6 years ago.
- this year's Alberta assist will mark the second time folks were sent as an IMT to Canada. A third time will be made this week
- an IMT worked the LAST INCH FIRE in Coeur D'Alene, Idaho - Idaho Panhandle National Forest in August and September of 2015. This team was sent via compact authority.
The NFFPC has yet to send an IMT as an inter-compact exchange to Canada, but has done so many times using Canadian IMT members to the US
- a first for the compact ... in September of 2015, the NFFPC sent a Canadian crew from Canada (QC) to the US's LAST INCH FIRE (Idaho) as an inter-compact exchange - they were greeted by the NFFPC IMT prior to the latter's leaving
- In an effort to combat and heighten situational awareness of the Southern Pine Beetle ... the NFFPC mobilized an international group of sawyers, foresters and fire prevention education team members to Long Island, New York last year.
- Canadian aircraft have been used in the US compact states many times, including last year and many other years in the last decade and more
Article from WILDFIRE TODAY as written by: Bill Gabbert (with some link modifications)
Canada asked the United States for 200 firefighters.
Other resources that have been requested are two Interagency Resource Representatives (IARR) to support efforts in the Fort McMurray area, and one Technical Specialist (THSP) to serve as International Liaison for NICC at the Canadian Interagency Forest Fire Centre http://www.ciffc.ca/ in Winnipeg, Manitoba.
We are working on confirming that an incident management team (IMT) comprised of both Canadians and Americans was mobilized to the Fort McMurray Fire about a week ago. The Northeastern Forest Fire Protection Compact www.NFFPC.org has built an IMT consisting of both Canadian Province members and American members and successfully mobilized them across Compact lines to Alberta. As far as we know this is the first time in the history of the compact lines to manage international fires. The map of the Fort McMurray Fire (Horse River Fire) below shows that it has been active over the last 24 hours on the north and east sides. It has burned 523,000 hectares (1.3 million acres0 or 2,019 miles.
