By Canadian Press

Canadians fighting California fires getting relief crews, but some headed to Oregon

Sep 16, 2020 | 8:55 AM

WASHINGTON, Wash. — The Canadians helping to beat back California’s wildfires are getting relief this week, but some of their replacements are headed to Oregon instead. 

Sixty firefighters from Quebec have spent the last two weeks helping to bring northern California’s North Complex blaze under control.

But officials say two of the three Canadian relief crews will instead go to Oregon, where fires have killed at least eight people and scorched more than 4,000 square kilometres.

Alberta Wildfire says on Twitter that 45 firefighters from the province are headed to the state this week.  

Smoke from up and down the U.S. west coast is blanketing the continent, reaching as far east as Washington, D.C., and affecting air quality across Canada.

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The crisis has also reached the presidential campaign trail, where Joe Biden is blaming climate change while Donald Trump accuses the states of poor forest management. 

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 16, 2020.

The Canadian Press