MONTREAL

20 Quebec firefighters head to Alberta to battle wildfires

The Canadian Press Published Friday, June 7, 2019 9:09AM EDT

A firefighter takes a drink of water as northwest Alberta wildfires burn near the town of High Level on Friday, May 24, 2019. About 5,000 people in High Level and surrounding communities have been out of their homes since the long weekend, as the Chuckegg Creek fire rages three kilometres outside the town. (THE CANADIAN PRESS/HO-Government of Alberta-Chris Schwarz)

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A group of 20 Quebec firefighters will head to Alberta to help fight forest fires ravaging that province.

The team from the Society for the Protection of Forests Against Fire will relieve another group of Quebec firefighters who have been in Alberta since May 24. They will bring with them 75 sets of motor pumps and 2,800 hoses.

SPFAF said cool weather and frequent precipitation have contributed to significantly lowered risk of fires in Quebec, allowing them to send firefighters to Alberta.

Since the beginning of forest protection season 62 fires have been fought in Quebec, affecting 28.8 hectares of forest. On average Quebec has 460 fires affecting 36,000 hectares of forest per year.