Oregon Sends Fire Crews to Canada Amid Rising Wildfire Threats

The Oregon Department of Forestry (ODF) deployed 14 firefighters to help fight fires in Alberta, Canada, yesterday.

In the past, Oregon has called on its out-of-state partners to send resources when wildfires here exceeded local and state response capacity.

For example, in 2024, ODF received firefighters and equipment from approximately 21 states, provinces, and territories. But the agreement is reciprocal.

Michael Curran, ODF’s Fire Protection Division Chief, confirmed that firefighting resources aren’t shared without appropriate vetting. Before undertaking any out-of-state deployment, ODF ensures that its fire management system is adequately staffed and ready to respond to fires in Oregon, which remains the department’s top priority.

The firefighters headed for Alberta, in terms of the Northwest Compact, a mutual assistance agreement among six states and five NW Canadian provinces and territories, are part of a broader cooperative agreement in place that helps organizations easily share resources with each other, creating a larger and more comprehensive fire management system.

This deployment will be the agency’s last major out-of-state resource push until the rainy fall returns to Oregon, as fire season is beginning in some parts of the state.

When wildfire activity is low in Oregon, its firefighters can help in places experiencing high levels of wildfire, and- at the same time, the two-week rotation with their partners gives firefighters a chance to enhance existing skills, learn new ones, and build on long-standing relationships.