WINNIPEG -- Two Manitobans, Geoffrey Smith, and Trevor Tetrault are heading to Australia to help with the ongoing wildfire situation. This comes after the Canadian Interagency Forest Fire Centre received a request for assistance.
In total, five Manitobans have been sent to support wildfire efforts. This is the fourth group of Canadians being sent.
“I’m pretty anxious about it,” said Smith from the Manitoba Wildfire Program, and one of the Manitobans going to Australia.
“We’re going into an area, dealing with fire fuels that we’re not used to or accustomed to in Canada.”
Smith and Tetrault have been fighting fires for over 30-years. Smith said he’s fought fires in Saskatchewan, Alberta, and B.C., but this will be the first time either man has been to Australia.
Smith and Tetrault flew from Winnipeg to Vancouver where they’ll meet the rest of their team.
“We’ll have a briefing in Vancouver, and again once we get to Australia,” said Smith. “We’ll be relying on the Australian weather and fire behavior experts heavily.”
The original 21-member group of Canadians is preparing to return home as the fourth group arrives.
In total, there are about 100 Canadians either on the ground or travelling to Australia to help with the wildfires. The fourth group will be helping with the fire efforts in New South Wales. In addition to the two Manitobans, the group is made up of Canadians from Ontario, Saskatchewan, Alberta, B.C., and Parks Canada.
Smith and Tetrault will be using all of their expertise to battle the blaze spreading across Australia, but both men agree they’ll need some help from Mother Nature.
“They need rain,” said Tetrault. “That’s the only thing that’s going to significantly change it in the short term.”
