Just over 40 firefighters from Ontario were sent to Alberta as the province struggles to control an “unprecedented” start to its wildfire season.

According to the Canadian Interagency Forest Fire Centre (CIFFC), Ontario also deployed four task force leaders and one agency representative. The crews, joined by another 32 Quebec-based firefighters and two aircrafts, arrived on Saturday.

“We know the situation is very serious in Alberta and we are committed to helping as much as we can while maintaining the capacity to respond to new wildland fires here in our own province,” a spokesperson for the centre told CTV News Toronto in a statement.

The CIFFC said they deploy crews and equipment once a request is made by the province or country—the centre has resource-sharing agreements with the U.S. as well as Australia, Mexico, and New Zealand—during times of increased fire activity.

In a social media post on Sunday, officials with the Alberta government expressed their gratitude to both Ontario and Quebec for the additional help.

“Close to 780 wildland firefighters arrived yesterday from Quebec and Ontario and are on their way to areas that need them most,” the post said.

“We’re grateful for the support.”

Over 24,000 people in Alberta have been ordered to evacuate their homes as crews fight more than 100 wildfires across the province. Over the weekend, officials said about 120,000 hectares of land were burning, leading the province to declare a state of emergency.

"This is not a step that we took lightly, but it is one that will allow the quickest and most effective response," Alberta Premier Danielle Smith told reporters Saturday.

"This measure allows for a more comprehensive response to extraordinary events. It also ensures that the centre is fully staffed and our partners across borders are notified."

The exchange builds on previous inter-provincial cooperation between the two provinces, which has seen crews sent to help knock down out-of-control blazes on a number of prior occasions.

In 2021, Alberta sent firefighters to northern Ontario to help combat wildfires in the Sudbury area amid an extended heat wave. Years earlier, in 2014 and 2015, Ontario sent crews to Alberta amid a rainless spring and summer.

With files from the Canadian Press