Manitoba firefighters head to B.C. to battle raging wildfires

Manitoba will send 13firefighters to join roughly 300 travelling from across the country to help fight the wildfires tearing through the B.C. Interior.

At last count, more than 200 active fires were raging in the province after a strong wind and lightning system ignited dry forest in the province's Interior.

An estimated 14,000 people have been displaced by the blazes, including more than 10,000 residents of Williams Lake, the largest community affected by evacuation alerts.

• B.C. is burning: 14,000 people displaced in hot, dry conditions
• Towns, homes evacuated in B.C. as wildfires burn out of control

Manitoba Sustainable Development confirmed Tuesday morning that Manitoba is sending 13firefighters and 50 pumps to the help crews battle the flames.

An air-attack officer will be sent to Northwest Territories to help co-ordinate firefighting efforts in that region.

The team is expected to leave later this week.

Dave Bokovay, operations manager for the Canadian Interagency Forest Fire Centre, said Manitoba crews will be assigned to initial attack roles on new fires that break out in B.C.

Firefighters will stay in the province for 14 days before returning home, he said.

• MORE DETAILS: B.C. wildfires: the current situation