Montana DNRC sends firefighters to Canada through the Northwest Compact

The Montana Department of Natural Resources and Conservation recently deployed a Type 2 hand crew comprised of 22 wildland firefighters to Alberta, Canada, via the Northwest Wildland Fire Protection Agreement (Northwest Compact).

“The State of Montana is happy to lend a hand to our neighbors to the north,” said Cory Calnan, Deputy Fire Protection Bureau Chief. “We as Montanans have greatly benefited from the convenience of the Northwest Compact and the ability to receive resources from Canada and other partner states when we need additional resources, so we’re thrilled we can return the favor.”

The Northwest Compact enables member states, provinces, and territories to collaboratively address large-scale wildland fires by sharing information, technology, and resources across borders to ensure efficient mitigation. For the past 25 years, this agreement between several Canadian provinces including, Alberta, British Columbia, Yukon Territory, Saskatchewan, and Northwest Territories/Forests, and the states of Alaska, Idaho, Oregon, Washington, and Montana has helped facilitate the sharing of firefighting resources to combat wildfires.

Led by Crew Boss AJ Angelo, Clearwater Unit Fire Management Officer, the hand crew is staffed by Department wildland firefighters from across eight units in Montana.

“The Department remains committed to collaborative efforts that strengthen the collective ability to manage wildfires effectively,” said Cory Calnan. “We extend our gratitude to the Canadian Interagency Forest Fire Centre and all our partners within the Northwest Compact for their continued cooperation and support.”