(UPDATE) State of Idaho lending fire crews to western Canada

Updated, June 12th, 4:00 p.m.: Energeticity.ca is issuing a correction for the article below based on information provided by the Ministry of Forests and the BC Wildfire Service. A previous version of this article said firefighters from Idaho have been sent to B.C. In fact, firefighters from Idaho are aiding wildfire efforts in Canada, but not in B.C. Energeticcity.ca is happy to set the record straight.

FORT ST. JOHN, B.C. — Teams of American firefighters are being sent to Canada to combat the growing number of wildfires across the province.

The Idaho Department of Lands — a government agency that oversees forestry practices and provides fire protection on state land in Idaho — announced on June 2nd that it’s sending fire crews to Canada.

According to a social media post that includes the announcement, the state of Idaho is a member of a group of regional governments called the Northwest Wildland Fire Fighting Compact.

Members of the compact have agreed to pool together their firefighting resources in times of need. 

Canadian members of the compact include B.C., Saskatchewan, the Yukon and the Northwest Territories. However, the Ministry of Forests and the BC Wildfire Service confirmed to Energeticcity.ca on June 12th that no Idahoan firefighters have been sent to B.C.

Meanwhile, other American members of the compact include Alaska, Oregon and Hawaii, the newest member.

“Wildfire knows no borders, and neither does our commitment to helping others,” the department said in a Facebook post. “Lending support now means when we need help in the future, they’ll be there for us too.”

Energeticcity.ca’s full wildfire coverage can be found here.