On the morning of this Friday (21), the Paraná Military Fire Department sent 1st Lieutenant Bruno Eduardo da Macena, from the 2nd Ponta Grossa Fire Brigade, to support the Brazilian humanitarian mission to support the fight against forest fires in Canada. The whole action will be coordinated by the Brazilian Cooperation Agency (ABC), of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

This fire season is the worst in Canadian history. Consequently, the Canadian government requested international assistance and the federal government ordered the dispatch of military firefighters and other professionals to Canada on humanitarian missions.

Brazil is sending a team of 20 soldiers from 17 states (Acre, Bahia, Ceará, Espírito Santo, Goiás, Maranhão, Mato Grosso, Minas Gerais, Paraíba, Paraná, Pernambuco, Rio de Janeiro, Rio Grande do Sul, Rondônia, Santa Catarina, São Paulo and Tocantins) and the Federal District. The volunteers return on August 24.

The mission will be made up of 104 wildfire specialists, who will work in the most affected regions of Canada. The team also includes officers from the Brazilian Institute for the Environment and Renewable Natural Resources (Ibama) and the Chico Mendes Institute for Biodiversity Conservation (ICMBIO), both from the Ministry of Environment and Climate Change; the National Secretariat for Protection and Civil Defense of the Ministry of Integration and Territorial Planning; and the National Public Security Force, Ministry of Justice and Public Security.

“The Paraná firefighters send Lieutenant Damascena to this entourage. It is a pleasure to have one of our members, a specialist in the fight against forest fires, within this beautiful mission. In addition, it is an excellent opportunity to exchange experiences and learn”, underlined the Deputy General Commander of the Paraná Fire Department, Colonel Antonio Geraldo Hiller Lino.

The Ministries of Defense, Transport and Finance are cooperating in the organization of the mission, in addition to the National Council of Military Firefighters of Brazil (LIGABOM) and other federal and state departments.

By internal legal decision of the Canadian government, the expenses of Brazil for the sending of the humanitarian mission will be reimbursed by this country, which will also provide planes for the transport of the Brazilian specialists and their equipment.

CANADIAN CRISIS – According to local authorities, the flames have already burned 10 million hectares of forest, the worst rate for a year in the history of the North American country. Firefighters from the United States, Mexico, South Africa, South Korea, Australia, France and New Zealand also support Canadian firefighters.