Sarah McMillan/cvnznews.com
Fire and Emergency New Zealand has welcomed home Team Zulu, the latest group of Kiwi specialists to return from Canada after five intense weeks supporting British Columbia’s massive wildfire response.
The deployment was part of a joint New Zealand–Australian effort, with each member of Team Zulu embedded in different Canadian Incident Management Teams. The five specialists filled critical roles — Divisional Supervisors, a Logistics Section Chief, a Safety Officer and a Helicopter Coordinator — working on some of the most complex and fast‑moving fires of the season.
An International Liaison Officer, based in Winnipeg, supported both New Zealand and Australian personnel throughout the deployment, helping coordinate teams across multiple provinces.
One returning member described the scale of the Canadian operation as “like stepping into a small city built entirely for firefighting,” with aircraft constantly lifting off, thousands of personnel moving through staging areas, and command systems running around the clock. “You learn quickly how vital coordination and communication are when everything is changing by the minute,” he said.
Fire and Emergency says the experience gained overseas will directly strengthen New Zealand’s ability to manage large wildfires at home. With the upcoming season expected to be hotter, drier and windier due to El Niño, the lessons learned in Canada — from logistics to aerial coordination — will be invaluable.
Team Zulu is the second contingent deployed to North America since mid‑July, with earlier crews assisting in the Pacific Northwest of the United States. A third group of 57 personnel from Fire and Emergency, the Defence Force, DOC and the forestry sector is currently working on fires in Utah and Washington State.
Fire and Emergency says the returning team “gave their best” and has made New Zealand proud.
