THUNDER BAY -- More than 100 Ontario frontline firefighters are heading west to help battle blazes that have displaced thousands of British Columbia residents.
The province is sending out about 105 fire rangers, who will be heading to the B.C. interior as of Tuesday.
Natural Resources Minister Kathryn McGarry said the firefighters will be drawn from across Ontario, though the exact locations are still to be determined.
"The ministry has assessed Ontario’s wildland fire risk and has the resources at hand to ensure the necessary assistance for communities should we start to experience an escalating situation here in Ontario," McGarry said in a statement.
"Across this country, our forests play an incredibly important role in the health and biodiversity of our communities and in the climate change mitigation of our planet."
At least 220 fires are burning and more than 8,500 people have been forced from their homes, including about 1,500 ordered out of 100 Mile House, B.C., on Sunday night, The Canadian Press reported.
About 300 firefighters from across Canada are being deployed to assist efforts in B.C. A province-wide state of emergency was declared on Friday.
