The Michigan DNR is sending firefighters to Canada to help battle wildfires.
Officials said wildfires in the Canadian province of British Columbia have burned more than 930 thousand acres since April.
Michigan as well as Minnesota, Wisconsin, Ontario, and Manitoba have sent crews of firefighters, and forestry staff to British Columbia.
Jim Fisher is a state forest fire supervisor. He said the DNR is sending rotating crews of eight to help fight the fires and to learn.
“And when they come back into the states from these kinds of assignments they bring back new experiences, new ideas, they’re better firefighters and help us do a better job when they come back into the states so it’s a really great experience for them and for the state of Michigan to have those folks come back that way.”
Fisher said the state is reimbursed for any expenses the crews incur while working in Canada.
“They’ve been pretty active in British Columbia for the last few weeks and they’ve had some major fires that have caused a lot of evacuations in some towns.”
Fisher said while most fires in Michigan are caused by people, a majority of the fires in Canada are caused by lightning.
More information on the fires is at the DNR’s website.