After a rousing arrival in Edmonton, firefighters from South Africa are getting down to business battling the 580,000-hectare blaze in Fort McMurray.
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The firefighters are involved with Working on Fire, a government-funded organization in South Africa that is focused on firefighting management.
The group had a rest day on Monday. Then on Tuesday, according to the Working on Fire Facebook page, they were briefed about where they were being sent, the status of the fire and had a safety session.
They also did some fitness exercises and an equipment check. The firefighters headed to Fort McMurray on Wednesday.
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“This is a very emotional trip as they all appreciate and understand the challenges the residents of Fort McMurray had to face when they had to evacuate their town. They should become fully operational by Thursday,” the Facebook page read.
Before they left, the group received a warm welcome to the city and to Alberta from Edmonton mayor Don Iveson.
Video courtesy of Michael Plouffe
“It is so uplifting to have music and to have joy and to know that people like you are coming to help us here fight this terrible fire and try to restore safety to the northern part of our province,” Iveson said.
The firefighters are here for a 14-day deployment in Fort McMurray. Alberta Wildfire said there will be an evaluation at the end of the 14 days to determine if the firefighters are still needed or can return to South Africa.
Last year, a group of firefighters from South Africa were also called to help fight wildfires in Alberta.
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