"They are regularly called upon for emergencies in New Zealand and overseas, and while controlling extensive blazes is demanding work".
"Their skills will make a significant contribution to the massive coalition effort to battle the fires," Boswell said.
A U.S. Air Force plane drops fire retardant on a burning hillside in California. Photo / AP
Fifty-four firefighters and 11 management personnel left Auckland last night in addition to the 36 fire personnel deployed in the north and northwest of the United States.
Among those deployed from New Zealand are two Whanganui firefighters, Gavin Pryce and Andy Simons.
It is the first time the pair have been deployed overseas and they'll be there for over a month.
"We'll be there up to 42 days so it's a long deployment. We'll be doing 14-day shifts with a small break in between.
Corporals Thomas Grant (left) and Reg Reid are in the three-member New Zealand Defence Force firefighting team deployed to the US.
"We don't know exactly where we're going yet but we're likely to be staying in fire camps, sleeping in tents, in pretty remote locations," Pryce said.
Around 90 wildfires are raging across 14 states in the northwestern United States and in Canada, authorities have recorded 1085 wildfires since the fire season began on April 1.
Wildfires have been destroying thousands of lives across the globe with wildfires raging throughout Portugal, Greece, Canada, the United States and parts of Africa.
Sergeant Alex Walker is leading the three-member New Zealand Defence Force firefighting team. Photo / Supplied
Heat warnings have also been issued throughout the Northern Hemisphere with temperatures reaching the high 40's throughout Europe.
In Spain, heat warnings were issued for 41 of the country's 50 provinces as temperatures were expected to reach up to 44C.
The World Meteorological Organisation says Europe's continental record temperature is 48C in Greece in 1977.
In Portugal's capital, Lisbon, temperatures reached 43 degrees Celsius on Friday - the national record is 47.4C.
