WATCH – South African firefighters sing and dance at the airport

Earlier this month it was confirmed by the Department of Forestry, Fisheries and Environment that around 400 firefighters would be sent to Alberta, Canada to assist with firefighting efforts.

This need for aid came after Alberta has witness more than 550 devastating wildfires this season, with the assistance from SA offered as part of an existing Memorandum of Understanding between Canada and South Africa which was signed in 2019.

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This will be the fifth deployment since the the agreement came into being.

A wonderful video has now emerged showing the spirit and unity of the firefighters as they sang and danced at the airport in a proudly South African video.

YOU CAN SEE THE VIDEO OF THE FIREFIGHTERS BELOW:

Sometimes a crisis hits so hard that a country needs help from others to overcome it. That’s not one-way humanitarian saviourism, it’s international solidarity. 200 South African firefighters land in Edmonton, Canada to help fight the wildfire. Sound up 🔊pic.twitter.com/QdXdkL8k0O

— Ben Phillips (@benphillips76) June 8, 2023

The first 200 firefighters departed for Canada on a chartered aircraft from Kruger Mpumalanga International Airport last weekend, while they were then set to be joined by another team of 200 firefighters and 13 managers.

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The team will be stationed in Canada for 35 days.

“I would like to extend my best wishes to the team as you embark on your deployment to Canada to help put out the fires raging in Alberta. You go to Canada to raise the South African flag and share your expertise and camaraderie with colleagues from other Canadian provinces to save lives, homes, businesses and large swathes of vegetation,” said the Minister of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment, Barbara Creecy.

According to the department, the firefighters have more than three years’ firefighting experience, while the first 25% of the selected firefighters in the first deployment are women.

“We are proud of the fact that South Africa is again able to assist Canadian firefighting teams in their battle to bring the wildfires under control. The extensive experience and training of these firefighters will significantly enhance efforts to effectively suppress and manage the wildfires in Alberta,” said Creecy.

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