Foreign firefighters battling blazes, fatigue and mosquitoes in Canada – National | 24CA News
Eighteen-year-old Hunter Sousa from Maine celebrated his highschool commencement by hopping in a truck and heading to Nova Scotia to battle the largest forest fireplace within the province’s historical past.
Sousa works for the Maine forest service as an on-call firefighter, however had by no means earlier than fought a hearth. The name from his superior got here on a Thursday.
“They said they’d be meeting in Bangor Friday night and I had my graduation Friday night, so I graduated and got my diploma, and headed to Bangor and met with the rest of the crew, and then we headed to Nova Scotia,” he stated in a latest interview.
Sousa is without doubt one of the many international firefighters who have been pressed into service as Canada battles its worst wildfire season in latest reminiscence. Hailing from 10 totally different international locations on 5 continents, they’ve been battling flames, fatigue and mosquitoes throughout stints of 14 consecutive days or extra in unfamiliar circumstances.
In Sousa’s case, his foremost responsibility on the Barrington Lake fireplace, in Nova Scotia’s southwest, consisted of mapping the extent of the hearth by strolling across the fringe of the burned sector _ known as the “black” _ and marking the perimeter in an app on his telephone, in addition to placing out the occasional scorching spot.
For another firefighters, their journey to Canada has yielded a front-row view to infernos of a magnitude few of them had ever seen.
Eric Flores, the top of a crew of greater than 100 French firefighters dispatched to Quebec, says the fires are far bigger – and more difficult – than what he normally sees at dwelling.
Flores was dispatched to Quebec’s Mauricie area, in an space close to a First Nations village that may solely be accessed by helicopter. During a latest telephone interview, Flores stated that whereas the realm is moist and swampy, the hearth travels via root programs underground, and even beneath water.
“Despite the fact that we have our feet in the water, it’s burning,” he stated.
Flores and his crew have been tasked with saving the northern Atikamekw village of Obedjiwan from a 150-square-kilometer fireplace burning uncontrolled. He stated the firefighters are specializing in holding the southern line near the village with fireplace breaks, hoses and by digging out smouldering embers earlier than they attain floor vegetation.
“Since there are immense trees, the fire takes on inconceivable views very quickly because once the fire starts to come out of the soil, it attacks the trees, it rises to the top and you have trees of 30, 40 metres and that’s how you have big fires that start very, very quickly,” he stated.
As of Wednesday night, he stated the firefighters had been profitable at holding again the flames from the neighborhood. They’ve been much less profitable, nonetheless, at holding again the “incredible number” of flies and mosquitoes that he describes as their greatest problem.
“Sometimes they’re getting eaten alive.”
As of Thursday, there have been 1,477 international firefighters in Ontario, Quebec, British Columbia and Alberta deployed via the Canadian Interagency Forest Fire Centre, the group stated in an e-mail. That quantity contains firefighters from Mexico, Portugal, Australia, New Zealand, Chile, Costa Rica, Spain and the United States.
One of the most important contingents is made up of 400 individuals from South Africa, who’re deployed to Alberta and dealing shifts of 14 days straight, adopted by 4 days off.
Vincent Lubisi, a strike crew chief, has stated the South Africans have needed to discover ways to battle fires in a rustic with totally different vegetation and climates.
In Edson, Alta., the place he’s been working, he stated the main focus is on securing the edges of the hearth and slowly working inward.
“In South Africa, they fight the fire more directly,” he stated.
The contingent contains coordinators equivalent to Antoinette Jini, who helps manage groups on the bottom, ensuring the assignments are understood and the right data will get conveyed.
While South Africans are right here to assist, she says their expertise in Canada is mutually useful as a result of it has allowed them to find out about North American sources and methods, equivalent to these used to map fires.
“We have built the relationship and we’ve learned many things while we’re engaging and collaborating,” she stated in a latest interview.
While the firefighters are working laborious, all of them say they’ve additionally loved the expertise. Sousa has appreciated the fantastic thing about Nova Scotia and the assist from residents, whereas Lubisi says he has had enjoyable collaborating along with his international colleagues.
Flores stated the French crews have been planning Wednesday night to search out time to rejoice the French Fete de la Musique vacation with just a little celebration and some beers. The social gathering would finish early, he stated, noting the firefighters wanted to stand up at 5 a.m. the following day for an additional lengthy day in Quebec’s woods.
© 2023 The Canadian Press
