Victorian crews head north to assist US fire response

POSTED:

23 July 2026

Twenty-nine Victorian firefighters and emergency service personnel will today begin their journey to the United States to support ongoing firefighting efforts.

Personnel from Forest Fire Management Victoria (FFMVic) and the Country Fire Authority (CFA) will first meet with their counterparts from across Australia and New Zealand in Sydney, before continuing to the US for a month-long deployment.

Once in the US, Victorian crews will use their specialist skills and knowledge to help local authorities as they continue to fight over 70 large fires, which have so far impacted around 1.4 million acres of land.

Victoria's contingent will perform a range of roles including incident management teams, air operations, sector commanders, taskforce leaders and field safety officers.

Quotes attributable to Acting Emergency Management Commissioner, Therese Fitzgerald APM

“Victoria’s specialist personnel have again answered the call to support our international partners as they tackle these significant wildfires.”

“Thank you to the firefighters, incident management teams, support staff and their families who have made sacrifices to support the United States in their time of need.”

Quotes attributable to FFMVic Chief Fire Officer, Chris Hardman AFSM

“We are proud to support our US firefighting partners as they respond to increasingly challenging wildfire conditions. Our highly skilled personnel will contribute their expertise, while gaining valuable experience, that strengthens Victoria’s bushfire preparedness and response capability.”

Quotes attributable to CFA Chief Officer, Jason Heffernan AFSM

“Our people bring a wealth of experience and expertise, and we are proud to support our international partners during a challenging fire season.”

Fire agencies around the world have a proud history of standing together in times of need, and we know that support will always be returned when Australia needs it.”

-ENDS-  

MEDIA CONTACT:

Emergency Management Victoria via the State Control Centre: 1300 287 289 or sccvic.media@scc.vic.gov.au

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Victorian crews head north to assist US fire response