Wednesday, New York Senator Kirsten Gillibrand sent a letter to the head of the US Forest Service calling on the group to stand ready should Canada request support in suppressing wildfire spread from Quebec.
The resulting smoke is blanketing New York State, with much of the area being placed under an air quality alert. Gillibrand has called on the Forest Service to stand ready to act under the authority of the Northeastern Forest Fire Protection Compact. The compact is a protection agreement between US states and Canadian provinces enabling members to coordinate and provide mutual aid to fight fires that are beyond the resources of any single member state.
Gillibrand says her office is ready to support the US Forest Service in their efforts as they continue to work on this current issue.
