Over 200 South African firefighters are preparing to head to Alberta, Canada, to assist in combating the severe wildfires ravaging the region. Among these, 27 hail from the Limpopo province.
This mission marks the sixth time a Working on Fire team has been deployed to Canada, a collaboration that began with a Memorandum of Understanding between the two nations in 2015. According to Linton Rensburg, the stakeholder relations manager for Working on Fire – Kishugu Joint Venture, this follows their largest effort in 2023, which saw 860 personnel participate.
Rensburg detailed that the team, comprised of experienced and physically fit firefighters, recently completed a three-day training session at the Kishugu Training Academy in Mpumalanga. They are scheduled to depart via a chartered flight provided by the Canadian Interagency Forest Fire Centre (CIFFC) this Friday from Kruger Mpumalanga International Airport in Mbombela.
The deployment, lasting 39 days including travel and rest, is a response to a request from the CIFFC under the ongoing cooperation framework established in 2019, which facilitates the exchange of wildfire management resources between the two countries.
Highlighting the diversity and expertise within the team, Rensburg noted that 30% of the first deployment’s members are women, including three management personnel. Many team members also bring international firefighting experience, enhancing their capability to handle complex situations.
Rensburg expressed pride in South Africa’s contribution to global firefighting efforts and reassured that local operations would remain unaffected, with over 5,000 firefighters still available across more than 200 bases nationwide.
He also emphasized the significant opportunity this deployment presents for the firefighters, both in terms of professional growth and personal experience, underscoring the importance of international collaboration in wildfire management.
IOL
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