High fire risk is predicted in coming months; how will Washington and British Columbia collaborate?
In mid-2024, U.S. Border Patrol began enforcing stricter rules at Peace Arch Historical Park — a symbol of peace and serenity sitting at the international border, commemorating the long-standing congenial relationship between the United States and Canada — citing an increase in illegal crossings.
While officials tighten controls on human movement, and the relationship between Canada and the United States grows in tension, nature continues to know no boundaries. When a wildfire tears through the forests of British Columbia and Washington, it doesn’t stop to show its passport.
Climate change and drought pose an added risk to this year’s wildfire potential. The National Interagency Fire Center predicts an above-normal fire potential in Washington for June and a normal fire potential for the rest of the season. In British Columbia, the assessment is similar, with an above-normal fire potential in May and June. Interagency protocols such as the Northwest Wildland Fire Protection Agreement and the 2025 International Mobilization Guide will help aid wildfire suppression between the two countries.
The cross-border approach
Tensions between British Columbia and Washington won’t play a role in this year’s wildfire season, experts say.
“That’s always been one of these shining examples of where international differences sort of disappear in the moment when we actually have large wildland fires going,” Michael Medler, College of the Environment professor at Western Washington University, said.
Medler has published work in the Journal of Fire Ecology and has testified at the Senate about wildfire risks.
Cross-border collaboration is crucial.
“We just have to work together to try and put them out,” Russ Lane said. Lane is the Wildfire Division Manager at Washington’s Department of Natural Resources; he has been in wildfire management for 38 years.
According to Lane, the fear of ongoing budget cuts in the United States means more reliance on pre-existing relationships with Canada.
From cross-border aircraft maneuvers to long-term resource sharing, organizations in Washington and British Columbia coordinate closely despite operating in different countries to fight fires.
‘We have this mission of wildfire, we’re tight partners,
we’re going to stay tight partners regardless of the rocks
that our national governments are throwing at each other.’
Among these collaborations is the Northwest Wildland Fire Protection Agreement, or the Northwest Compact, an arrangement between several northwestern American states, Canadian provinces and territories, and organizations focused on effective wildfire management across borders. Members from the Northwest Compact met in March to discuss ongoing plans and policies to help the situation.
“Part of our discussions at the Northwest Compact was ‘hey, let’s set (politics) aside; we have this mission of wildfire, we’re tight partners, we’re going to stay tight partners regardless of the rocks that our national governments are throwing at each other’,” Lane said. “That doesn’t change our relationship and the mission we have to take care of the citizens of our states and provinces.”
The collaborative focus remains clear. Through this initiative, aircraft can cross national lines, dropping water where needed and flying back without touching down on foreign soil, a maneuver known as “splash and dash.” Lane says this type of aid occurs annually.
The British Columbia Wildfire Service is another key partner in these collaborations, working hard to strengthen these cross-border collaborations. The service works closely with its partners and is ready to mobilize when resources are needed.
“Our shared geography and the reality of increasingly impactful wildfires we have seen in recent years make it essential that we are well-positioned to cooperate when we need to,” B.C. Wildfire Service wrote in an email.
Local relationships
Laurie Trautman is the director of the Border Policy Research Institute at Western, where she studies U.S. and Canada border issues. According to Trautman, the economies, labor markets and people in these regions are deeply connected.
Washington and British Columbia have a history, not only through trade and government relations but also in geography. The two share similar climates and landscapes that are entwined together and operate independently of any international agreement.
“The environment knows no borders, so doing something on one side is going to be a lot less effective than joining forces and doing it together,” Trautman said. “The challenge is different systems on both sides.”
A time of crisis is not a time to try and build a relationship; rather, one should already be in place, she said.
For wildfires, those relationships are already in place. Lane said that the wildfire community is a small one, and when someone is in need of a larger-scale resource movement, it’s a phone-a-friend situation.
“Our strength is our partnerships and we have diverse partnerships which really help make this system resilient,” Lane said. “If one partner is struggling, others can step up and help bolster that.”
Agreements such as the Northwest Compact help reduce bureaucratic delays by allowing personnel to cross over the border when needed. The 2025 International Mobilization Guide, or IMG, also helps facilitate cross-border mobilization at a federal level. It includes specifics on the mobilization of foreign resources protocols, clarifies that it does not apply to state and local government operations, outlines the agencies that are involved and overall works to improve the effectiveness of mobilizing resources.
The IMG allows for the exchange of resources and personnel between the United States, Canada, Australia, New Zealand and Mexico. When mobilizations are approved, people can deploy under federal authority. However, customs procedures, visa approvals and credentials are still required.
Extra support was needed during the 2024 wildfire season in British Columbia. The season saw 5,363 fires across Canada, 1,688 of which were in British Columbia. Canadian wildfire management called on relationships from all over Canada as well as members from the United States, Australia and New Zealand, according to the B.C. Wildfire Service.
But relationships are a two-way street, so when wildfires broke out in California this past January, the B.C. Wildfire Service staff stepped up.
“These agreements go both ways,” B.C. Wildfire Service wrote in an email. “We know we can count on our partners to be there for us just as much as they can trust that we’ll be there for them in their time of need.”
In 2020, 300 Canadian firefighters moved to help with wildfires in Washington and Oregon. Nearly every year, collaborations between the two countries occur to mobilize personnel on both sides of the border to help the other.
Looking ahead
At Peace Arch Historical Park, where the border between the two countries becomes blurred, the monument holds the inscription: May These Gates Never Be Closed.
“Where there’s a will, there’s a way,” Trautman said. “I hope that we can counteract some of what’s happening at the national and bi-national scale by recognizing that it’s just really valuable and in our best interest to continue to work together in whatever way is possible right now.”
— By Margaret Baumgartner
May is Wildfire Awareness Month. Saturday, May 10, from 1 to 3 p.m. at the Orcas Island Fire and Rescue Station, Orcas Island Fire and Rescue, San Juan Conservation District, Washington Department of Natural Resources and others are joining forces to address community members and provide tips on what residents can do to protect themselves. Receive a home wildfire assessment for free at WildfireReady.com.
Also read in Salish Current:
• “Local counties face climate vulnerabilities,” March 21, 2025
• “How islands respond to threats of climate change,” Oct. 7, 2024
• “Wildfire fighting is on a year-round cycle,” Dec. 13, 2023
• “Prepared for the worst, local agency plan wildfire-fighting strategies while hoping for the best,” Aug. 5, 2021