NEW YORK (WKBW) — New York Governor Kathy Hochul announced Thursday that a team of New York State Department of Environmental Conservation forest rangers is deploying to assist with the wildfire response in eastern Canada.
The team of forest rangers will join firefighters from New Hampshire and Maine in Quebec. The wildfires have caused several days of air quality alerts across New York State.
"While we continue to monitor the haze caused by smoke from Canadian wildfires, we are fortunate to have Forest Rangers trained and ready to take on the daunting task ahead. New Yorkers are always at the ready to help those in need, and I thank our brave wildland firefighters whose efforts will be critical in containing these wildfires."
The governor's office said this is the first time NYS forest rangers have been deployed to Canada since wildfires in Quebec in 2005.
"DEC Forest Rangers are world-class wildland firefighters and bring a wealth of knowledge to assist our partners in Canada. Oftentimes, they're traveling out west where we only see the effects of the fire on tv. This time, we've been feeling the effects for days. Their work will be instrumental in helping lead the firefighting efforts and we look forward to their safe return."
New Yorkers can find tips on how to keep themselves safe here and here.
On the federal level, U.S. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer has urged Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack to call on the U.S. Forest Services to double the personnel deployed to Canada to fight the wildfires.
“It is unfathomable that millions of New Yorkers cannot even step outside without compromising their health and safety. From Buffalo to Binghamton, upstate residents have had to make impossible decisions between their safety and their livelihood; everything from afterschool activities to festivals, to sporting events and flights have been cancelled. The best way to ensure that Upstate NY does not suffer another wave of wildfire air pollution from these fires is to contain them as soon as possible. That will not be easy, but the Federal Government must explore all options on the table to keep residents in New York and across the U.S. safe. We must send personnel, equipment, and we must offer any assistance that our friends north of the border need. Climate change has taken these once-in-a-hundred-years events and turned them into yearly occurrences, and while I am proud of the work we’ve done to accelerate the transition to clean energy through bills like the Inflation Reduction Act, this wildfire is a stark reminder that without further intervention, our country will continue to fight these unprecedented events. In the meantime, we need all hands on deck to immediately make New York’s air clean, healthy, and safe once again.”
