US President Joe Biden directed the Department of Defense (DOD) to provide technology support that enables Canada “to more rapidly identify and suppress” new wildfires, the White House announced late Friday.

“This technology can provide early warning of emerging wildfires in remote wilderness areas so that the fires can be stopped before they spread and burn out of control,” National Security Council Spokesperson Adam Hodge said in a statement.

DOD personnel will “analyze and share real time data derived from US satellites and sensors and convey it via a cooperative agreement between the US National Interagency Fire Center and the Canadian Interagency Forest Fire Centre,” said the statement.

“The Biden Administration is also deploying additional U.S. Department of the Interior (DOI), USDA Forest Service (USFS) and state wildland firefighting personnel and equipment, including airtankers and smokejumpers, to assist with ongoing wildfire suppression efforts in Canada,” the statement continued.

The statement concluded that “in the weeks ahead, the United States will continue to closely coordinate with the Government of Canada on the ongoing response to the historic wildfires burning in Canada.”

Source: Kuwait News Agency