National

B.C. wildfire crews return from California deployment to combat L.A. fires

Darpan News Desk The Canadian Press, 03 Feb, 2025 05:10 PM

More than 30 firefighters from British Columbia's Wildfire Service have returned home from a deployment fighting large fires that destroyed thousands of homes around Southern California.

The Ministry of Forests say the crews are part of two separate groups, the first consisting of 13 technical specialists who were deployed on Jan. 11 to support the effort to combat the Palisades wildfire in L.A.

Then, on Jan. 16, the BC Wildfire Service sent another 22 front-line firefighters along with an agency representative to California.

BC Wildfire Service crews are back home after supporting wildfire efforts in Los Angeles. Welcome home and thank you for your service at home and abroad. pic.twitter.com/2OxzF5U0hT
— BC Government News (@BCGovNews) February 3, 2025

The second crew worked on front-line fire suppression and other activities targeting the Eaton and Hughes wildfires to the east and north of Los Angeles.

The wildfires are now considered contained, but 29 people were killed and as many as 19,000 homes and other buildings were destroyed since the fires started on Jan. 7.

The B.C. Ministry of Forests say the crews gained valuable experience during the deployment, including developing and training in techniques for fire-suppression without water availability.

The ministry says that experience will allow the BC Wildfire Service to have improved capabilities for fighting similar fires in B.C. in the future.

Prev Next

MORE National ARTICLES

Drug-trafficking investigation leads to charges against 19 people in northern B.C.

Federal prosecutors have approved charges against 19 people, eight of them still at large, after an investigation into what police call a violent drug trafficking network in northeastern British Columbia. A statement from B.C.'s Combined Special Forces Enforcement Unit says two of the 11 people who were arrested remain in custody, while the others have been released with conditions as they move through the judicial process.

Drug-trafficking investigation leads to charges against 19 people in northern B.C.

Seizure of cannabis outside prison

Canada's Correctional Service says officials recently seized 70-thousand-dollars' worth of cannabis from outside a federal prison in B-C's Fraser Valley. The service says it happened last Thursday along the perimeter of the medium-security Mountain Institution outside Agassiz, northeast of Chilliwack.

Seizure of cannabis outside prison

B.C. NDP must 'adapt,' 'build bridges,' says Surrey MLA now nicknamed 'Comeback Kid'

Garry Begg's slim win over the B.C. Conservative candidate in Surrey-Guildford is still subject to a judicial recount, but for now his win gives the NDP the 47 seats needed to form a majority government in British Columbia's 93-seat legislature.

B.C. NDP must 'adapt,' 'build bridges,' says Surrey MLA now nicknamed 'Comeback Kid'

More than a quarter of Canadians will spend at least 100 bones on Halloween: poll

A new poll suggests more than a quarter of Canadians will spend $100 or more on Halloween, with roughly 70 per cent of respondents saying they'll fork over as much money as they did last year on candy and costumes. That's according to polling firm Leger, which surveyed 1,520 adults this month on their Halloween habits.

More than a quarter of Canadians will spend at least 100 bones on Halloween: poll

Recounts rarely alter elections. There's another reason they matter, says B.C. expert

Premier David Eby's NDP claimed victory on Monday in B.C.'s Oct. 19 election, but the counting isn't over. Two judicial recounts were triggered at the end of the "final count," by an NDP candidate's 27-vote victory margin in Surrey-Guildford, and a Conservative candidate's 38-vote win in Kelowna Centre.

Recounts rarely alter elections. There's another reason they matter, says B.C. expert

Ottawa urged to halt imports of endangered monkeys for drug testing, amid U.S. probe

The influx of long-tailed macaques from Cambodia, which the U.S. alleges are being illegally captured from the wild, has animal advocates, researchers and opposition politicians sounding the alarm over animal welfare and potential public-health risks. The latest push comes from the federal NDP, which is urging Ottawa to bring "immediate attention" to the issue.