LAC LA BICHE - On July 23, a group of firefighters from Australia made a short stop in Lac La Biche before heading out to assist with efforts to fight wildfires south of Fort McMurray.
Simon Johnstone, a station officer with Queensland Fire and Rescue, stated that a contingent of 55 Australian firefighters arrived in Edmonton on July 21, eager to assist Alberta Wildfire in responding to devastating wildfires that were taking place across the province.
Following a Provincial briefing, firefighting resources mobilized on July 23 to the Lac La Biche, Fort McMurray and High Level Forest Areas.
Johnstone added that the Australians wanted to repay the assistance provided by Canadian firefighters who travelled Down Under to assist with efforts during what is referred to as the “Black Summer” of 2019-20. During those wildfires, 33 people were killed and more than 17 million hectares of land was burnt, with many communities across Australia blanketed in smoke.
“All firefighters expressed interest in supporting Canada with their wildfires and are very excited to assist,” he told Lakeland This Week. “Experiences learnt here are transferrable to firefighting in Australia.”
According to Johnstone, this deployment of Aussie firefighters into the Boreal forests of northern Alberta is only possible with the cooperation and agreement between the Canadian Interagency Fire Fighting Centre (CIFFC) and the Australian and New Zealand National Council for Fire and Emergency Services (AFAC).
The contingent of firefighters who came to Western Canada, Johnstone explained, are a mixture of both paid and volunteer firefighters from across Australia, with every state and territory represented on the deployment.
There are also nine female fighters in the group, he continued, fulfilling a variety of roles, including heavy equipment boss, air support group supervisor, helicopter coordinator, helibase manager, information officer, resources unit leader and supply unit leader.
Johnstone said the deployment to Alberta is for a maximum of 35 days, but for some of the firefighters, they will be away from home for about 40 days.
“In this deployment we are fortunate to have firefighters with recent wildfire experience in both Alberta and British Columbia, along with a new group bringing their own wealth of experience and skills,” he said. “Combined, this mix of experience greatly assists with the quick and smooth transition and integrating into fireline operations.”
While fighting wildfires is certainly a daunting task, since arriving in Alberta, the contingent of Australian firefighters has had a few other challenges to contend with, one being adjusting to driving on the opposite side of the road. That, and making sure the locals could understand their accents.
As far as getting the opportunity see some of the beautiful natural landscapes of Alberta, Johnston stated that while the Australian firefighters have only been in the country for a few days and are keen to get down to business, it is impossible not to notice the beautiful countryside and friendly people. They’re also hoping to get back out this way in the not-so-distant future.
“We look forward to a short break in a couple of weeks so we can rest up, but also enjoy the scenery and hospitality of Lac La Biche and Alberta,” he stated.
