Mesa hotshots battle wildfires in Canada
ALBERTA, Canada - Fires across Canada have been burning for weeks, sending thick smoke over much of the country and down into the United States.
More than 1,700 miles away, a handful of Mesa hot shots are on the front lines in Alberta, and we talked to the team leader on June 10.
The Mesa firefighters are on a mission. They're battling more than 400 active wildfires across Canada.
The flames have torched more than 12.5 million acres of land. More than double the amount of a typical fire season in that country.
"They're burning everywhere."
One of the Mesa firefighters on the front lines is Patrick Moore, the leader of the Mesa team. He says crews have been working 14-hour shifts.
Patrick Moore
"Here in Canada, they just have so much more ground and a lot of very scattered and rural First Nation population," he said.
20 Mesa hot shots are currently deployed to Canada and they're stationed in central Alberta, which is about three hours north of Edmonton.
This year has got off to a destructive start, thanks to ongoing drought and heat in parts of Canada.
The wildfires have forced thousands to evacuate, and blanketed parts of the U.S. with smoke.
Arizonans in New York describe dense haze from Canada's wildfire smoke
A youth baseball team from Phoenix is in New York all week playing baseball games, but they had to postpone a game because of the smoke from Canada's wildfires.
"Not only do you risk losing your house, but that's where all your equipment is if you're a farmer or rancher."
Moore ends the interview with a warning: things will get worse before they get better.
"It probably won't stop burning up here 'til winter.. they get snow on the ground."
The Mesa hot shots will head home from their 21-day deployment on June 15. And another trip to Canada may not be far off.
"When we get home, take four, five days off and see if we get reassigned in the states. There's a good chance we see another rip to Canada this summer."