Cape Town – Two hundred firefighters and 13 managers are set to be deployed to assist in ongoing fire suppression operations in the Canadian province of Alberta on Wednesday.
Two hundred more fighters together with 15 managers were deployed just over a week ago.
The deployment of both teams of Mzanzi Hotshots 2, 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 2023 deployment is the fifth collaboration between South Africa and Canada in terms of the exchange of personnel.
Minister of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment Barbara Creecy, said: “I would like to extend my best wishes to the team as you embark on your deployment to Canada to help put out the fires raging in Alberta. You go to Canada to raise the South Africa 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,” said Creecy.
Working on Fire added that it took pride in mobilising qualified and diverse teams to bolster Canada's firefighting efforts.
“The extensive experience and training of these firefighters will significantly contribute to the effective suppression and management of wildfires in Alberta, ultimately helping to protect lives, properties, and the environment,” said Working on Fire.
Cape Times