South African Department of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment (DFFE) relaunched its ‘Working on Fire’ initiative to send a fifth team of firefighters and management professionals to the Canadian province of Alberta to aid in the containment of the region’s devastating wildfires.
A video shared by the journalist-led platform Good News Movement has gone viral of the 200 South African firefighters joyfully dancing and singing at Kruger Mpumalanga International Airport, capturing the incomparable spirit of Mzansi.
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According to IOL, Minister Barbara Creecy sent her ‘best wishes’ to the firefighters, wishing them to ‘fly the South African flag high’ while sharing experience and fostering relationships with colleagues from other Canadian provinces in order to ‘save lives, homes, businesses and large swaths of vegetation.’
In accordance with the existing Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between Canada and South Africa, the Canadian Interagency Forest Fire Centre (CIFFC) requested immediate assistance.
Alberta has already seen over 550 wildfires this season, causing significant damage to property and infrastructure and displacing thousands of people. Evacuation orders have been issued in a number of areas.
According to a DFFE news release, the MOU, signed in 2019, allows for the exchange of wildland fire control resources between South Africa and Canada. It was established following two previous deployments to Canada to combat wildfires in Alberta and Manitoba.
On Saturday, 3 June, a rented aircraft carrying 200 firefighters and 15 managers took off from Kruger Mpumalanga International Airport bound for Canada.
During the mission, the crew will assist firefighters in Canada for 35 days. A second squad of 200 firefighters and 13 managers will join the crew in Alberta this week.
The 2023 Canadian deployment squad is made up of pump-trained firefighters with a valid Yellow Card, more than three years of practical firefighting experience and physical fitness.
Several team members have prior foreign firefighting experience, which enhances their ability to deal with complex fire scenarios.
Watch:
Video: @goodnews_movement
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Picture: Screenshot / @goodnews_movement / Instagram