South African firefighters deployed to assist with wildfires in Canada

Posted by Anita Froneman on 11 August 2021

The Department of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment’s Working on Fire (WOF) programme has deployed 109 firefighters and management members to the province of Manitoba in Canada to assist with firefighting efforts on August 10.

The Canadian Inter-agency Forest Fire Centre has asked for firefighting assistance after battling record-breaking wildfires in the country for weeks.

The crew consisting of 100 men and women firefighters and nine managers have been selected following a selection process that included criteria such as physical fitness, having a valid Yellow Card, more than three years of actual firefighting experience, and additional criteria such as passing a drug test and having a clear criminal record. They will be deployed for a period of 34 days, according to Working on Fire.

‘I would like to extend my good wishes to the Working on Fire team as you embark on your fourth deployment to Canada to assist in bringing the fires currently raging across Manitoba under control.  I trust that, as in the past, you will fly South Africa’s flag high and that your camaraderie will stand you in good stead as you battle alongside colleagues from other Canadian provinces and cities to save lives and homes,’ said the Minister of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment, Barbara Creecy.

‘Due to the number of provinces experiencing high fire dangers, Canada is close to exhausting available wildland fire management resources within the country,’ WOF said.

‘However, as with previous deployments, we want to reassure our partners and stakeholders that this deployment will in no way have an impact on our current firefighting resources in South Africa, where the Working on Fire programme is able to call on close to 5 000 firefighters spread throughout the country,’ the organisation added.

Once the team lands in Canada, they will be fully vaccinated.

Picture: Trevor Abrahams via Working on Fire

 






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