Cape Town - The Department of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment has announced it will be deploying a second contingent of firefighters to Canada to assist with the wildfires.
Canada has been hit by a series of wildfires since March, but the intensity of the fires has gained momentum in this month.
Firefighters attached to the department’s Working on Fire programme from all provinces will be heading abroad to assist in containment efforts.
On June 3, the first batch of 200 firefighters were deployed to Canada.
On Wednesday, June 14, a second contingent of 200 firefighters and 13 managers will be deploying to Edmonton, Canada from Mpumalanga International Airport at 7pm, arriving on Thursday, June 15, just before 10am (Canadian time).
The deployment of both teams comes in response to an urgent request from the Canadian Interagency Forest Fire Centre (CIFFC) in terms of the existing Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between Canada and South Africa. The Canadian province of Alberta has already experienced more than 550 wildfires this season, resulting in significant damage to property and infrastructure and displacing thousands of people.
Evacuation orders have been put in place in many areas.
The MOU signed in 2019, provides for the exchange of wildland fire management resources between South Africa and Canada. It was put in place following two earlier deployments to Canada to suppress wildfires in Alberta and Manitoba.
According to the department, the 2023 deployment is the fifth collaboration between South Africa and Canada in terms of the exchange of personnel.
The 2023 Canadian deployment teams comprise highly qualified firefighters, with a minimum of three years of firefighting experience, and are trained in Canadian pump operation techniques. The teams also include members with previous international firefighting experience, which enhances their expertise in tackling complex fire situations.
Speaking to IOL, Mpho Sias from the Molteno base in the Eastern Cape is the only one of her crew members back home leaving for Canada on Wednesday.
The 33-year-old mother joined the Working on Fire programme in 2017.
“I was always interested in firefighting. I then applied in 2017 and that was it,” she said.
Sias has a 13-year-old son back home and said she is doing all of this for him.
“We are estimated to be deployed for 39 days, however, it does depend on the situation and this could be extended,” Sias explained.
She is excited for the deployment.
“I am excited about going and extremely honoured to be part of this team. I have never experienced anything like this and it is not only an opportunity to improve myself, but also to make my province, town, family and especially my son proud. It will also be my first time abroad.
“I am ready to take on this blaze. I am currently the only one from the Molteno base here (in Mpumalanga), however, from the 200 colleagues, we are eight from the Eastern Cape,” Sias said.
She said she was chosen as she has a valid passport and her level of fitness is on par.
“I feel bad that I will be leaving my son and I will miss him and my family. But, I tell myself that I have to adapt to the situation and I am doing this all for him,” Sias told IOL.
Another excited firefighter from the Elliot base in the Eastern Cape, Phumzo Gulwa, 36, cannot wait to hit the ground running in Canada.
The father of three said not only will it be his first time abroad, it will also be his first time on an aeroplane.
“We are currently busy preparing us for deployment tomorrow (Wednesday) and busy with fitness, lecturers especially how to deal with the animals that side, time, environment.
“I am really looking forward to this,” Gulwa told IOL.
Akhona Mqhaba, 31, from the Langeni base in the Eastern Cape could not contain her excitement for her deployment when she spoke to IOL.
“I joined Working on Fire in 2017 and since then I have experienced so much.
“While I am very nervous about going to Canada, I am also very excited. This is a big opportunity for me to learn from my Canadian colleagues, experience a new place, fires and I know I will be learning a lot,” Mqhaba said.
The mother of a three-year-old said she has explained to her daughter she will be away for a while.
“I am going to miss her for sure. But, I sat her down and explained to and I also told her: ‘when mummy comes home, mummy is going to bring you nice things’.
“I am going to represent my base, my town and my family. I am doing this for all of us,” Mqhaba said.
It will also be her first time on an aeroplane and travelling abroad.
Minister of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment, Barbara Creecy has extended her best wishes to the team as they embark on this deployment.
“You go to Canada to raise the South African flag and share your expertise and camaraderie with colleagues from other Canadian provinces to save lives, homes, businesses and large swathes of vegetation.
“We are proud of the fact that South Africa is again able to assist Canadian firefighting teams in their battle to bring the wildfires under control. The extensive experience and training of these firefighters will significantly enhance efforts to effectively suppress and manage the wildfires in Alberta,” Creecy said
IOL