A Southland fire fighter will spend 36 days away from home and 28 of those supervising teams fighting fires.

Fire and Emergency Southland assistant district commander Timo Bierlin left Invercargill on Wednesday  to join a cohort of seven New Zealanders going to fight fires in British Columbia, Canada.

It was his sixth deployment overseas and his third to Canada, Mr Bierlin said.

He had been to Australia on three occasions.

He would have a division commander role.

“Division commander normally looks after a section within the fire and is responsible for every ground operation that is happening in that area of the fire.”

He was not sure yet of some of the details of the assignment including where he would be stationed but most of the fires burning at present were in the southern part of British Colombia.

“British Columbia in that area is quite mountainous and hilly.”

There would be a mixture of vegetation on fire including indigenous forest, plantations and scrub.

Being deployed overseas was a good way to gain knowledge quickly, Mr Bierlin said. 

“It takes probably five to six years to get the same experience here in New Zealand.

“That knowledge we bring back into our district [makes] our operations better, more efficient, more effective, safer.”

Even though the work was hard he enjoyed the experience of working together with different nationalities. 

“Just being amongst people with the same attitude, the same values fighting fires.

“It sounds bad, but it’s fun.

Meanwhile his wife at home had to “hold the fort”.

“It’s going to be tough for her as well.”

There are 12 Southland fire fighters who are accredited to be deployed overseas.