Gov. Kathy Hochul (D-NY) announced on Thursday that New York is sending a crew of Forest Rangers to help fight the Canadian wildfires currently blanketing the eastern United States with smoke.
The New York team will join firefighters from Maine and New Hampshire. Hochul said the state has offered aid to Canada before, but the neighboring country is now taking them up on the offer.
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"While we continue to monitor the haze caused by smoke from Canadian wildfires, we are fortunate to have Forest Rangers trained and ready to take on the daunting task ahead," Hochul said in a statement. "New Yorkers are always at the ready to help those in need, and I thank our brave wildland firefighters whose efforts will be critical in containing these wildfires."
Hochul announced on Thursday that New York was sending forest rangers to fight the blazes in Canada.
Canadian officials have asked for seven people over the next two weeks so far. Hochul agreed and said she could supply more if the request changes. The new rangers come on the same day President Joe Biden announced 600 firefighters have been deployed to help fight the Canadian blazes since May.
"This morning, millions of Americans are experiencing the effects of smoke resulting from devastating wildfires burning in Canada, another stark reminder of the impacts of climate change," Biden wrote in a statement on Thursday.
"Since May, more than 600 U.S. firefighters, support personnel, and firefighting assets have been deployed, working alongside Canadian firefighters to tackle what is likely to be the worst fire season in Canadian history, and one that has huge impacts here in the United States."
Biden said he has also authorized more firefighters and air tankers. Other countries are also pitching in, with assistance from South Africa, Australia, and New Zealand having already arrived. European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said on Thursday that France, Portugal, and Spain were also sending more than 280 firefighters to Canada, according to Reuters.
Wildfires have been spreading across Canada over the last six weeks, prompting evacuations and causing more than 3.3 million hectares of land to burn.
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The fires have led to heavy smoke in more than half of the United States, which has put roughly 90 million people under air quality alerts. Among the cities affected are New York City, Philadelphia, Washington D.C., Detroit, and Jersey City.
The Canadian government announced on Monday that the country is set to experience one of its worst wildfire seasons on record, which has been exacerbated by drought and high temperatures.