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 International        Wildfire Support         and Hurricane Relief**Mexico        and Central America Wildfires****Canadian        Wildfires**By mid May hundreds of        wildfires were burning in Mexico, Guatemala, Honduras and Belize.  Smoke from these        fires drifted into Texas, Oklahoma, Louisiana and New Mexico causing visibility and health        concerns.
On May 15, the Mexican government requested technical assistance from the        United States through the State Department to determine Mexico's needs in light of this        emergency.

The National Interagency Fire Center then coordinated requests from the US Agency for        International Development's Office of Foreign Disaster Assistance for firefighting        resources to be sent to Mexico and other Central American countries.

During the next three weeks, technical specialists and equipment were sent to Mexico,        Guatemala, Honduras, El Salvador, Nicaragua and Costa Rica.  Items included        protective clothing and equipment, hand tools, portable weather kits and water containers.

By the last week in June, the threatening wildfires had subsided.   After the        smoke cleared it was estimated that more than one million acres of land had burned in        Mexico alone.Canada experienced similar        conditions to those in the southern United States, Mexico and Central America.  A        very wet winter followed by hot and dry conditions in the spring and summer created        abundant dry vegetation for setting the stage for severe fires.
Canadian fire managers        responded to large fires  throughout the entire summer.  Two fires in Alberta        burned more than 500,000 acres and forced nearby communities to evacuate.   Wildland        fire activity continued in Canada for several months.

An agreement with the United States allowed Canadian officials to order needed supplies        as the fires continued to burn.  Numerous firefighting crews, infrared aircraft,        radios, and other equipment and supplies were ordered through the National Interagency        Fire Center.

By late fall, Canada had reported 10,676 fires which burned about 11.4 million acres.

 

 

 **Hurricane Relief Efforts**In late August        tropical storms began to develop in the Atlantic Ocean.  Some of these storms evolved        into intense hurricanes that threatened islands in the Caribbean and the United States        east coast.   Wildland fire resources were then requested by the Federal Emergency        Management Agency (FEMA) to assist in relief efforts as these storms pounded coastal        communities.
**Bonnie**        Through a request from FEMA, federal firefighting management teams assisted local        communities when Hurricane Bonnie hit areas in North Carolina.

**Georges**        As Hurricane Georges approached islands in the Caribbean Sea and threatened Florida,        national firefighting resources were again asked to assist with relief efforts.  The        National Interagency Fire Center responded to requests from FEMA to send fire personnel,        equipment and supplies to Puerto Rico and the Gulf of Mexico states affected by the storm.Back to Fire Season at a Glance |
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