Local firefighters back from Canada receive a warm welcome
The twenty firefighters of the North-West who were deployed in Manitoba, Canada since August returned safely in South Africa yesterday and received a warm welcome back in Potchefstroom.
Twenty firefighters from the North-West who were deployed in Manitoba, Canada since August returned safely in South Africa yesterday and received a warm welcome back in Potchefstroom.
A small ceremony was held by Working on Fire (WOF) in Potchefstroom where dignitaries expressed their gratitude towards these brave young men.
The firefighters were part of a group of 109 firefighters and management from the Department of Forestry, Fisheries, and the Environments’ Working on Fire who were recruited from all the provinces.
They left South Africa on 10 August and at the time of their arrival in Winnipeg, Canada was experiencing high fire dangers. Canada’s available wildland fire management resources were exhausted and needed assistance. Their request came through the Canadian Interagency Forest Fire Centre (CIFFC) in terms of a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between Canada and South Africa. This MOU provides for the exchange of Wildland Fire Management Resources between these two countries. This is Working on Fire’s 4th deployment to Canada (2015, 2016 & 2019).
The firefighting divisions were deployed to various active fires in Manitoba from Friday 13 August 2021, Loon Straits in the Eastern Sector, and the Cold Lake complex in the Western Sector where multiple fires were burning.
The Working on Fire Teams participated in extinguishing the Loon Straits fire in Eastern Manitoba and then combatting three fires in North-West Manitoba as part of the Cold Lake fire complex. By the time the South African firefighters demobilized from the fire line on 11 September 2021, two fires were extinguished, and one fire was under control.
Warren Toderan, Operations Chief of the Manitoba Wildfire Services had the highest regard for our firefighters “They showed extreme professionalism and hardworking skills. Any objective was accomplished immediately and effectively. Every crew member was always smiling, even when they were placed in wet swamps and difficult working conditions. Everyone enjoyed camping on the line along the fire. This was my first time, as a Manitoba firefighter to have the chance to work with South African crews. It was a rewarding experience I will never forget. I learnt so much about their culture and many similarities and different challenges we face in our respective countries”, says Toderan.
