BC Wildfire Service crews are back in the province after helping battle wildfires in Australia for more than a month.

“Our world-class BC Wildfire Service has once again stepped up on the global stage,” said Ravi Parmar, Minister of Forests.

“As we prepare for the 2026 wildfire season, our BCWS crews consistently demonstrate exceptional skills, courage and professionalism wherever they’re called to serve.”

Thirty-seven BC Wildfire Service staff returned to B.C. last week after deploying to the Australian state of Victoria in late January to support wildfire response and recovery efforts.

The deployment included a 15-person incident management team, a 20-person fire crew and two agency representatives.

Those working in the incident command centre assisted with safety, operations, planning, logistics and air operations, while the fire crew worked alongside firefighters from Australia and New Zealand assessing hazardous trees, doing chainsaw work and carrying out mop-up operations with hand tools.

The request for assistance came through the Canadian Interagency Forest Fire Centre.

In total, 74 firefighters from B.C. and Alberta were sent to Australia as part of the deployment.

The province says the experience gained through international deployments helps strengthen wildfire response efforts at home.

As the 2026 wildfire season approaches, B.C. says preparations are continuing across the province, focusing on prevention, preparedness, response and recovery.

New First Nations wildfire training bootcamps are scheduled to begin in April at several fire centres, along with new-recruit training in Merritt.

The province also notes that international support goes both ways. Australia sent crews to assist during B.C.’s wildfire season in 2024.

Last year, the BC Wildfire Service also deployed more personnel and equipment across Canada than in any previous season, helping with wildfire response in Yukon, Alberta, Saskatchewan, Manitoba, Ontario, and for the first time, Nova Scotia and Newfoundland and Labrador.

To learn more, visit Government of British Columbia.