BUFFALO, N.Y. (WIVB) -- The National Interagency Fire Centre in Idaho is sending crews to Canada to help battle the rash of wildfires that are bringing down the air quality in Western New York.

"What we used to call fire season, we now refer to as the fire year just because fire activity can really happen at any time of year," said Rebecca Paterson, a public affairs specialist at the center.

Paterson says a preparedness level scale from one to five is used to measure the amount of resources available to battle wildfires.

"In Canada, they're actually at a PL five right now, preparedness level of five, so they are maxed out and that is often where we find ourselves in the position of: the United States is cooperating with them, using our cooperative agreement to send resources," said Pate

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