South African firefighters to deploy from KMI Airport to fight wildfires in Canada
Our country is sending its first deployment of 200 firefighters to Alberta, Canada to combat wildfires.
A team of 200 South African firefighters is set to depart on a chartered aircraft from KMI Airport on Saturday morning, June 3, to help fight wildfires in Alberta, Canada.
A statement by the Department of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment’s Working on Fire (WoF) programme said the deployment followed a request for urgent assistance from the Canadian Interagency Forest Fire Centre.
According to the statement, this will be the fifth deployment by a WoF team to Canada since the two countries began working together.
“Alberta has already experienced more than 550 wildfires this season, which has resulted in significant damage to property and infrastructure and displaced thousands of people. Evacuation orders have been put in place in many areas,” it said.
The statement said the request had been made in terms of the existing memorandum of understanding (MoU) between Canada and South Africa.
“The MoU, signed in 2019, provides for the exchange of wildland fire management resources between the two countries. It was put in place following two earlier deployments to Canada to suppress wildfires in Alberta and Manitoba,” it said.
According to the statement, after the first deployment on Saturday, which will see the team fight fires for 35 days, a second one of 200 firefighters and 13 managers will join the crew in Alberta in a week’s time.
Of the 200 selected for the first deployment, 25% are women. This includes two members of the management team and highlights WoF’s commitment to diversity and inclusion.
The statement said several of the team members have previous international firefighting experience, which further enhances the expertise in tackling complex situations.
“I would like to extend my best wishes to the crew as you embark on your deployment to Canada.
“We are proud that South Africa is again able to assist Canadian teams in their battle to bring the wildfires under control. The extensive experience and training of these firefighters will significantly enhance efforts,” said the department’s minister, Barbara Creecy.
