A proudly South African video is going viral in the States showing some of our bravest firefighters singing and dancing after doing a hard day’s work.
The fire crew of 16 South Africans arrived in America two weeks ago to help fight the Howe Ridge fire in Glacier National Park in Montana, but it is their “gees” that is making us all proudly South African!
“It took a lot of work to get through all the clearances. We brought 16 South African firefighters into the United State and put them with our trained leadership and equipped them to engage in firefighting,” Troy Kurth said.
Troy Kurth owns Rocky Mountain Fire company, a private contracting company in Missoula that works with federal agencies involved in firefighting. He says his counterpart in South Africa, NCC Environmental Services, worked to get South African firefighters to Big Sky county to help fight flames in the region.
Kurth says the wildfire conditions in South Africa are similar to the Western United States, which makes them qualified to be on the fire lines so far away from home.
The Howe Ridge Fire is a wildfire in Glacier National Park in the U.S. state of Montana. Ignited by a thunderstorm on the evening of August 11, 2018, the fire was located on the northwest side of Lake McDonald. Several other fires were also started near the park due to the storm.
The fires have been raging for nearly a month and on the August 31 the National Park Service reported that 13 residences and 14 more minor structures had been lost due to the fire and the costs associated with fighting the fire had reached 6.6 million dollars.
By September 9 the fire had shown some fire growth to 13,671 acres (5,532 ha), some of which was attributable to backfires that had been deliberately set by firefighters to prevent the fire from resuming uncontrolled expansion. By September 18, the fire was reduced to creeping and smoldering.
A week earlier, officials reopened the western portions of the Going to the Sun Road but only for licensed shuttle services so they could transport tourists from Apgar Visitor center to Logan Pass. Officials stated the fire had cost over 12 million dollars since August 11 and 135 personnel (including the 16 South African firefighters) were still assigned to the fire.
Kurth explained to local news stations that the South African firefighters singing and dancing is one way to express happiness and enjoyment in what they’re doing, and all we know is that the video is making us all incredibly proud of South Africa’s bravest holding our flag high.
Watch the video below (remember to turn up the sound):
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