Forestry Corporation of NSW, Media Release, 23 July 2024

Four fire specialists from Forestry Corporation are serving as part of a New South Wales deployment of firefighters assisting authorities in Canada to tackle the country’s wildfires.

A contingent of firefighters and incident management specialists have departed for Canada after AFAC, the National Council for Fire and Emergency Services received a request for assistance from the Canadian Interagency Forest Fire Centre.

Canada is experiencing significant fire activity with 895  active fires burning.

More than 400 of those wildfires are out of control and already 2.2 million hectares of land has been burnt.

Forestry Corporation’s Bombala-based Silviculture and Fire Coordinator Tim Gillespie-Jones and South Coast Fire and Operations Team Leader Peter Carstairs, who also deployed to Canada last fire season have flown out for British Colombia.

Forestry Corporation’s Senior Manager Environment and Sustainability Dean Kearney and Lead Forestry Officer Daniel Macaree were also deployed to Canada on Sunday.    

Tim Gillespie-Jones has 22 years’ experience as a firefighter and started his career as a forester with Forestry Corporation in 2005.  

Tim has previously undertaken a host of interstate deployments and has served as a level two Incident Controller and Divisional Commander for the past 10 years culminating in numerous declarations across NSW including the Black Summer bushfires.  

 
“I am excited to be part of this deployment. It is my first international deployment, and it will be great heading overseas with Peter Carstairs, who I work closely with here on the South Coast,” Tim said.   

“I’m really looking forward to repaying the favour to the Canadian firefighters who assisted our crews during the Border fire and Rockton fire in 2019 and 2020.

“I worked closely with Canadian firefighters during a large strategic backburn along the Victorian border to protect the softwood plantations of Bondi State Forest. Being able to repay that contribution is a big reason behind my deployment,” he said  

Peter Carstairs will serve as a Safety Advisor knowing exactly what to expect of the Canadian wildfires after he undertook a month-long deployment over there last year.

“The fires in British Colombia are particularly dangerous firegrounds. The trees are shallow rooted and burn through quickly. When one tree falls, they fall down in numbers like match sticks” Peter said.    

“In the north of British Colombia they had a really dry winter, with not enough snowfall so now in summer the forests are being igniting by dry lightning strikes. 

“Last year when our Australian IMT arrived over there, the Canadian IMT were so relieved as many were completely exhausted having not had a break on the firegrounds for months. It’s again at that point now,” he said. 

Peter began working for Forestry Corporation, two years ago, have started as a firefighter for DSE Victoria in 2005. 

He spent 11 years as a District Fire Coordinator working for Parks and Wildlife Service in Broome, Western Australia prior to relocating to the South Coast.  

Lead Forestry Officer Daniel Macaree from Maitland will deploy as a Heavy Plant Supervisor Dozer Boss having worked for Forestry Corporation since 2016.

“With the current fire situation in Canada I’m expecting it to be quite challenging. I imagine I will be working with contractors most days looking for and constructing containment lines and providing access to areas,” Mr Macaree said.  

“I think it will be a challenging yet rewarding experience that I’ll be able to draw upon in the future.” 

Peter, Tim, Dean and Daniel will undertake a 34-day deployment with the Australasian fire specialists. 

To find out more about Forestry Corporation, one of the state’s four firefighting agencies, please visit www.forestrycorporation.com.au.