For Immediate Release
08/01/2023
United States Donates $100,000 for Canadian Communities Affected by Wildland Fires
Today, the U.S. Government, through the U.S. Agency for International Development, donated $100,000 (USD) to ADRA International. This funding will support relief, recovery, risk reduction, and resilience efforts for communities affected by wildland fires in Canada, with a specific focus on the most vulnerable populations.
“The United States and Canada have a long history of having each other’s backs in instances such as this. Today’s donation demonstrates the United States’s continued commitment to our longstanding cooperation to combat wildland fires and protect communities in the face of this climate change-driven threat,” said U.S. Ambassador to Canada David L. Cohen.
The Biden-Harris Administration continues to mobilize federal assets and coordinate with our Canadian allies to help suppress wildland fires. Since May 8, the United States has mobilized as many as 2,600 wildland firefighting personnel and equipment, including airtankers and smokejumpers, to assist ongoing efforts. The U.S. Department of Defense is providing technology support, built on the Pentagon’s innovative FireGuard program, that will enable Canada to more rapidly identify and suppress new fires.
On June 22, 2023, Ambassador Cohen and Minister of Energy and Natural Resources Jonathan Wilkinson, alongside then Minister of Emergency Preparedness Bill Blair, signed an arrangement between the U.S. Department of Agriculture, the U.S. Department of the Interior, and Natural Resources Canada to improve the efficient exchange of wildland fire suppression resources across the U.S.-Canada border and facilitate the sharing of best practices to expand wildland fire management knowledge in both countries.
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Ariel Pollock
Spokesperson
U.S. Embassy Ottawa
613-688-5317
ottawa-press@state.gov
