FREDERICTON (GNB) – A group of 16 New Brunswick forest rangers is headed to Australia to help battle wildfires in that country.

“We are proud that our highly trained forest rangers are willing to help relieve the crews that have been battling the historic fires in Australia,” said Natural Resources and Energy Development Minister Mike Holland. “By assisting other agencies in combatting large, complex fires during their time of need, our forest rangers also gain valuable fire line experience that can be applied to forest fires here in New Brunswick.”

The forest rangers will be working in the states of New South Wales and Victoria. They are expecting to be in the country at least 30 days.

New Brunswick is a member of the Canadian Interagency Forest Fire Centre, which helps co-ordinate mutual aid among provinces and often co-ordinates the sharing of resources with the United States and other countries. The province provides assistance when conditions permit.