REGINA — The Saskatchewan Public Safety Agency is highlighting its contributions to efforts to fight wildfires in other parts of Canada.
In a Facebook post this week titled “SPSA Lending a Helping Hand,” the agency confirmed it had deployed 2,000 lengths of 1 1/2-inch fire hose to British Columbia to aid in the major fight against wildfires in that province.
The SPSA posted that it has also provided an air attack officer to the Northwest Territories to aid in its wildfire efforts. An air attack officer is described as an aerial firefighting specialist who directs and co-ordinates wildfire suppression operations from the air.
The SPSA also pointed to its previous announcement that it had sent a Pratt & Whitney turbine engine for a CL-415 water bomber to Ontario, which has seen extensive wildfires this year.
The Saskatchewan Public Safety Agency says it continues to support wildfire response efforts across Canada through the Canadian Interagency Forest Fire Centre. The SPSA states that it remains “committed to supporting our mutual aid partners when requested and extends its condolences to those who have recently experienced significant loss.”
In a statement, the SPSA confirmed they had sent the resources in response to requests made through the Canadian Interagency Forest Fire Centre.
Over the weekend, B.C. declared a provincial state of emergency with respect to the wildfire situation in that province, with a number of evacuation orders or alerts in place. In addition to equipment provided by other provinces, a host of firefighters have arrived from outside B.C., including from other countries. The arrival of new firefighters came shortly before the declaration of a state of emergency.
In a statement Aug. 6, B.C. Premier David Eby said: “This week, we are grateful to welcome a second wave of firefighters from Mexico, as well as crews from Australia and New Zealand. They will join personnel from Alberta, Quebec and the Yukon, demonstrating the strong partnerships that exist across borders when communities are facing emergencies.”
One reason the SPSA might be able to spare some resources for other provinces this summer is that the wildfire and flood situation in Saskatchewan has settled down considerably from earlier in the year.
In a post Aug. 7, the SPSA reported that its Provincial Emergency Operations Centre had transitioned to Level 5 — Routine Operations status.
“While wildfire and flooding conditions persist in some regions, the overall situation has stabilized, and crews have made good progress in response and recovery efforts,” the agency posted.
