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- Two teams of South African firefighters will be deployed to Alberta in Canada.
- There have been more than 550 fires in Alberta this season.
- The teams will be deployed for 35 days.
Two teams of South African firefighters will be deployed to Canada to help battle wildfires in Alberta.
The deployment comes after the Canadian Interagency Forest Fire Centre (CIFFC) asked Working on Fire for additional capacity.
Wildfire management resource, Working On Fire, will deploy the first team of 200 firefighters to Alberta, which has already experienced more than 550 wildfires this season, causing significant damage to property and infrastructure and displacing thousands of people. Evacuation orders have been put in place in many areas.
In addition to the 200 firefighters, 15 managers will be sent to Canada on a chartered aircraft from Kruger Mpumalanga International Airport on Saturday.
A second team of 200 firefighters and 13 managers will join them in a week's time. The teams will remain in Canada for 35 days.
This is Working on Fire's fifth deployment to Canada.
At the beginning of 2019, a memorandum of understanding was signed between the Canadian and South African governments as part of the South Africa-Canada Bi-National Commission to allow for the exchange of wildland fire management resources.
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"Working on Fire takes great pride in mobilising such a qualified and diverse team to bolster Canada's firefighting efforts.
"The extensive experience and training of these firefighters will significantly contribute to the effective suppression and management of the wildfires in Alberta, ultimately helping to protect lives, properties, and the environment," the organisation said.
