Hundreds of joyful South African firefighters were called on to help a Canadian region battling with record wildfires, arriving with much-needed spirit and song; watch!
Alberta, Canada (5 June, 2023)—Hundreds of joyful South African firefighters extended the call of duty, jetting off to Canada to help put out wildfires ongoing in Western Canada’s Alberta province.
200 Firefighters all from South Africa flew from Kruger Mpumalanga International to Canada over the weekend, ready to help with their expertise and uplifting spirits; the latter of which is almost just as necessary for a dose of relief during the tough times.
In typical South African spirit, the South African firefighters arrived with joy and song as they touched down in Edmonton, Alberta’s capital city.
One Canadian publication praised the arrival for hitting “all the right notes”, while many Canadian Twitter users thanked them (and the continent) in advance.
Shout out to Africa 🌍
— DAPPER DON DHARSHI • K A M I L • (@SoloFlow786) June 4, 2023
Watch: Help Just Touched Down for Alberta
Awesome!
South African firefighters perform their traditional song and dance after they arrive in Edmonton to help battle a record-breaking wildfire season in Alberta. #yeg #yyc #abwildfire https://t.co/qhxatzlu9F
— Courtney Theriault (@cspotweet) June 4, 2023
Alberta has been thwarted by hundreds of wildfire breakouts during its spring season (a record of over 550!) with many still active.
South Africa and Extending the Call of Duty
Seeking urgent help, the Canadian inter-agency Forest Fire Centre called and South Africa answered. SA and Canada might seem thousands of kilometres apart, but agreements like the Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) bring us closer so that the tough times never last.
“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,” said the Minister of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment, Ms Barbara Creecy.
Loads more firefighters will be deployed this week (with 25% being women champions) as part of the Working on Fire programme which provides heroic-career path opportunities for young South Africans.
by 