B.C. firefighters get a break as Ontario fire crews step in to help

VANCOUVER — Firefighters in British Columbia will be getting a much-deserved break after crews from Ontario arrived in Prince George to help out in one of the busiest fire seasons in years.

The B.C. Wildfire Management Branch says 60 firefighters and 30 support workers will be relieving crews that have been working for two weeks.

Navi Saini (sah-nee) of the branch says this year 365 people from across Canada have come to B.C. to fight the blazes, and dozens from Australia and Alaska are also helping out.

Saini says cooler temperatures have helped lower fire-danger ratings across B.C., but some coastal areas still have campfire bans, and hot and dry conditions remain in the north.

The province has about 1,200 of its people battling 165 fires across B.C.

Authorities have responded to more than 1,200 fires since April, and more than a third of them were caused by people.