聽 聽 聽 聽 聽 聽 Carlyle Fire and Rescue Chief Trent Lee and local firefighters Eric Brown and Dwayne Henderson, along with Redvers Fire Chief Brad Hutton and Redvers firefighters Andrew Hamilton and Brenden Gaudet, travelled to northern Saskatchewan from July 7 to 13 to join the more than 1,500 people working to contain and control the 127 massive forest fires in that part of the province, with a focus on protecting the 50 communities under threat there.
听听听听听听听听听听听 鈥淲e worked to protect the community of Weyakwin,鈥� says Lee. 鈥淲e got the call to go up north late Monday, and we were on the road and up north early Tuesday. The rapid response unit is a one-ton, four-wheel drive unit that's used for the bush. We took it because it's the only vehicle that I knew our local area could do without for the time we were up north.鈥�
听听听听听听听听听听听 Lee, also the President of the Saskatchewan Association of Fire Chiefs, says, 鈥淚t's a devastating event. It's very tragic. Fire chiefs and fire services from throughout the province have answered the call for manpower and equipment and they were ready to go at anytime. Everybody comes together at a time like this and does a fantastic job.鈥�
听听听听听听听听听听听 Firefighter Eric Brown-who along with firefighter Dwayne Henderson-answered the province's call for more skilled manpower said, 鈥淎s soon as I phoned my bosses-Shane Cuddington and Bruce Harkness at Spartan Trucking-they said, 'Yes.' I only gave them a couple hours notice on Monday night and they said it was not problem and to just go. I'm really grateful to them. They made it easy for me to do this.鈥�
听听听听听听听听听听听 鈥淚 think everybody is doing what they can to help the people affected in the northern part of our province,鈥� adds Brown. 鈥淣ot only my bosses, but the ladies up north who cooked our meals and made our bagged lunches everyday, the guys in the airplanes and helicopters, the military people, the forestry people and the local First Nations people. There are just so many people trying to help.鈥�
听听听听听听听听听听听 鈥淲e knew they were going to be looking for help eventually,鈥� says Lee. 鈥淭here were people from all over-in addition to crews from across Canada, there were Americans, Mexicans, Australians...On our last day, we worked the front line with three American forestry guys.鈥�
听听听听听听听听听听听 Each morning the Carlyle and Redvers volunteers made the 90-minute drive from Prince Albert to the Weyakwin camp where five helipads and 100 members of the Canadian military awaited-and where they were briefed daily.
听听听听听听听听听听听 鈥淓very day, we received a detailed briefing of what we could expect,鈥� says Lee. 鈥淲eather, wind speeds, the types of trees and vegetation that were in the path of the fire and how the fire was expected to spread.鈥�
听听听听听听听听听听听 鈥� They issued us equipment-shovels, axes, water packs and hoses. Our truck was used as a water pumper. We worked 12-hour shifts and the first day, we looked for hotspots and put them out with water from our packs. As they saw what we were capable of, they trusted us with more responsibility, and by the end of our time there, we were working with the wildfire firefighters as backup, as they set up a fire wall.鈥�
听听听听听听听听听听听 The Carlyle and Redvers crew were backup for front line firefighters as they created a firewall along 150 feet of ditch.
听听听听听听听听听听听 鈥淚t's literally fighting fire with fire,鈥� explains Lee. 鈥�(A fire wall) burns off any ignitable vegetation and creates a barrier around the area you're trying to protect.鈥�
听听听听听听听听听听听 The rural crew added to their duties during their time there, while continuing to take responsibility for Weyakwin, which had to be checked sometimes hourly, as a protective measure.
听听听听听听听听听听听 Lee says one of the biggest concerns while fighting a forest fire is the thick ground cover. 鈥淔ighting a forest fire is entirely different from fighting a fire in our (southern) part of the province. The muskeg and the inches of pine needles, bark and wet moss on top of the forest floor is deep on the ground and the fire can burn a foot-and-a-half underground. You can see the smoke. When that happens, the roots of the trees burn and they are left with nothing to support them but gravity. Falling trees are a real danger.鈥�
听听听听听听听听听听听 鈥淭he difference in the landscape and terrain compared to our (southern) part of the province is huge,鈥� says Brown. 鈥淭he forest floor is burning. When we dug through eight inches of moss with shovels, the roots of the trees were burned. That's really dangerous because the trees will fall over with no warning.鈥�
听听听听听听听听听听听 鈥淚t's entirely different from putting out a grass fire,鈥� Lee adds. 鈥淵ou don't go (into the forest) with a fire truck. That's not going to happen.鈥�
听听听听听听听听听听听 鈥淭he visibility is a big factor,鈥� says Brown. 鈥淏ecause it's forest, with the trees, you're really limited. There were two or three days the locals warned us about flare-ups. That was a little unnerving. We'd be on the highway bridge, filling the truck up with water, and you'd see a flare-up.鈥�
听听听听听听听听听听听 鈥淭he smoke would rise above the trees, filling up the whole sky,鈥� he adds. 鈥淚t didn't block the sun, but it turned it bright red. And visibility is so important for the helicopters and the 'ducks', which is what we call the water planes.鈥�
听听听听听听听听听听听 聽As president of the Saskatchewan Association of Fire Chiefs and as an active firefighter, Lee says members of the public's compliance with evacuation orders or other requests by first responders is of the utmost importance regardless of the type of emergency.
听听听听听听听听听听听 鈥淭he biggest thing about an evacuation order is that people follow the order,鈥� says Lee. 鈥淚n a situation like this, we're there to protect property, but when there are people there, it's a real hassle for us and at best, an unwelcome distraction.鈥�
听听听听听听听听听听听 鈥淏ut I'm also there to protect my firefighters, whether it's in a situation where there's been a mandatory evacuation order or whether it's a traffic detour, because of an accident. Naturally, people are our first priority, but if firefighters have to go in and rescue people who are taking unnecessary chances, or if they're trying to work on the highway and people aren't paying attention or are deliberately not following a detour or stopping when they should, it's a real problem.鈥�
听听听听听听听听听听听 鈥淚n Weyakwin, as far as I know, one house was gone before we arrived. We were able to help protect the community and it would be devastating to lose someone's residence. There are sad situations when two houses are lost in order to save 200. But houses can be replaced-people can't-and as firefighters, people are always our first priority.鈥�
听听听听听听听听听听听 Brown, whose hometown is Arcola and who has been a member of Carlyle Fire and Rescue for three years, says, 鈥淭he scale of these fires are huge. I knew I wanted to go and help, because I really feel for the evacuees and the desperation they must feel. It's not about being the hero-it's about doing what's right and helping if you can.鈥�
听听听听听听听听听听听 鈥淚 wish I could have stayed longer and I wish I could have done more,鈥� adds Brown.
听听听听听听听听听听听 Lee agrees, saying; 鈥淲hen you are up there, you're just focused on the job. At the time, it didn't really sink in with me. It's just something I love doing. Just give me the job and I'll go do it. If there's an emergency, I want to help.鈥�
听听听听听听听听听听听 Although Lee is reluctant to predict the fires' eventual outcome, he says, 鈥淚 believe this is an unprecedented event in this province. It's still a huge danger. There will definitely be spot fires until fall unless the weather turns.鈥�
听听听听听听听听听听听 鈥淚t was for us, a valuable experience as firefighters,鈥� adds Lee. 鈥淎nd we want to help wherever and whenever we can.鈥�
听听听听听听听听听听听 鈥淚 would go back again in a heartbeat.鈥�
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