Canada has been on fire since Friday June 2nd. A hundred French firefighters set out to help their Quebec colleagues. Among them, nine officials from Gard and Hérault will take to the streets this Thursday, June 8th.

214 ongoing fires on Quebec soil. Since Friday, June 2, 2023, the flames have been devastating forests and threatening homes. 11,000 people were evacuated.

Firefighters need reinforcements to deal with these early and important fires. Hundreds of officials from the US, Mexico, South Africa and Portugal have already responded.

The French are also on their way. The departure of the Gardois and the Héraultais is scheduled for this Thursday 8 June from Marseille airport in the early afternoon.

The departure of the French firefighters was announced by Emmanuel Macron on June 4 on social networks: “Canada is facing terrible fires. France is united. Hundreds of our firefighters are preparing to fight the blaze with their comrades from Quebec.“

For the South region, 40 firefighters will fly to Canada. You will be assigned to the units for conducting tactical fires, forestry work, edge trimming and participating in hydraulic operations.

Gardois and Héraultais have embarked on a three-week deployment among the hundred firefighters who are making their way to help Quebec. The controller general Eric Flores, director of the SDIS of Hérault and Vice-President of the National Fire Brigades Association of France, takes charge of the Civil Security Support Mission.

At his side stood seven Gardois specializing in tactical fire: Commander Jallet, Lieutenants Bollon and Ginies, Chief Warrant Officers Maurin, Tillault, Ferrand and Estrader. Lieutenant Colonel Jérôme Bonnafoux, communications officer, is also involved in the trip.

Urgently needed help for Quebec Firefighters. By early June 2023, 2.7 million hectares were already burning in Canada. That is eight times more than the average for the last thirty years.