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A fourth group of 215 South African firefighters will be deployed to Canada to assist with the country's worst fire season in history.
The Department of Forestry, Fisheries and Environment (DFFE) on Wednesday said that the firefighters from its Working on Fire Programme are set to leave for the province of British Columbia on Friday. This brings the total of firefighters sent to Canada to 860.
Another team of firefighters that have been working in Alberta and the Northwest Territories in Canada returned on Wednesday after a 33-day deployment. Reuters previously reported that the town of Yellowknife had to be evacuated last week.
There have been more than 5 800 fires recorded in Canada this year. The fires have destroyed more than 14 million hectares, the DFFE said in a statement.
Citing the Canadian Interagency Forest Fire Centre, more than 137 000 square kilometres have been burnt from one end of Canada to the other.
READ | SA firefighters off to Canada after wildfires damage properties, displace thousands
"The deployment of our South Africa firefighters to Canada since June this year has been a resounding success thus far, and they have received huge praise from Canadian wildfire authorities as well as the other international firefighters from countries such as the US, Mexico, Spain, Chile, Australia," said Forestry, Fisheries and Environment Minister Barbara Creecy.
Climate scientists have found that fires that swept across the province of Quebec were made twice as likely due to climate change, the Guardian reported.
