Manitoba reservists, soldiers head to Saskatchewan to fight wildfires
Troops expected to help douse flames, watch for new fires and hotspots
Dozens of Manitoba reservists are en route to Saskatchewan to help fight wildfires in that province.
Upwards of 40 reservists from Winnipeg are joining 100 full-time soldiers from CFB Shilo who went to Saskatchewan over the weekend.
"I couldn't be prouder. It's nice to be able to give back and to help people save their towns," said Carl Griffith, the father of Pte. Keith Griffith.
The Griffith family knows what it's like to survive a wildfire — they were living in British Columbia's Okanagan Valley when devastating fires struck 12 years ago.
"I lived through the fires when I was a kid, I figured I know what it's like. It's rough, seeing everyone being evacuated, seeing homes being destroyed," said Keith Griffith, who is a mechanic by day.
After they take a full day of firefighting training in Prince Albert, Sask., the reservists will have their work cut out for them, said Maj. Mike Lagace, a spokesperson for the Canadian Forces in Manitoba, Saskatchewan and northwestern Ontario.
"They're going to be fighting the fire," Lagace said.
"They'll be properly kitted out so they're very visible, and they're going to have these backpacks on them with a lot of water and going out, and it's all up to the province to determine where they need our guys."
Some of the soldiers and reservists may help with dousing flames, while others will watch for new fires and check for hotspots.
"That's why the army's suited for this. We love being in the bush, we love getting dirty and, you know, crawling around. So they won't be crawling around, but they'll be working very hard with backpacks," Lagace said.
"These guys have to do what they call a battle fitness test … you have 60 pounds of stuff on your back plus all kinds of equipment. So we are the right guys for the right job here for now, and we'll do it."
Meanwhile, the elder Griffith said he's nervous about his son being assigned to firefighting duty.
"I would rather see him get deployed overseas than to go to a wildfire," he said. "It's extremely dangerous. A fire can turn on you in seconds."
Lagace said the troops could be in Saskatchewan for up to a few weeks.
Another 350 regular force troops are on standby at CFB Shilo, ready to be deployed if needed.