More Manitoba firefighters headed to Australia to help battle wildfires

More Manitoba firefighters are heading to Australia to help fight the wildfires that are ravaging the country.

At the beginning of December, two Manitobans went to Australia as part of a contingent of 21 firefighters from across Canada chosen by the Winnipeg-based Canadian Interagency Forest Fire Centre.

Another group was deployed to the Australian state of New South Wales on Dec. 19, while a third group was deployed to Queensland on Dec. 30.

The original team is getting ready to return home and a fourth group of 21 Canadians, including two Manitobans, is heading to Australia on Saturday to assist in New South Wales.

This wildfire season has been deemed theworst in the country's history, burningmore than five million hectaresand killing at least 19 people. It's estimated millions of animals have also been killed.

This is the first time Canada has made a co-ordinated effort to send firefighters to Australia.

Crews from that country have visited Canada, and were vital in helping British Columbia handle widespread wildfires in 2017 and 2018, said Stephen Tulle, duty officer with the Canadian Interagency Forest Fire Centre, earlier this week.