Saskatchewan is extending its reach when it comes to getting help to fight forest fires.
It already has reciprocal wildfire agreements with all of the provinces, the Northwest Territories, as well as a number of states in the U.S.A.
This month’s new resource sharing agreements were signed with South Africa and Mexico.
Environment minister Herb Cox says the more resources available the better.
“Absolutely, there could be situations that arise again, as there were just recently when our situation rescinded a little bit and the states called on our taker group to go down there. I figure the more hands you have on the ground and the more equipment you have to fight the fires, the better off we all are,” he said.
A Saskatchewan air tanker was in the backdrop of Monday’s announcement about the agreement at Regina’s airport. The tanker, a Convair 13, made its stop as part of a trip to Estevan and the United States where it will take part in training exercises with partner agencies.
There is value in partnering with other regions and countries even if they are as far away as South Africa, said the executive director of Wildfire Management, Steve Roberts.
”They have a large workforce because they have large wildfires in their summer,” he said. “So they have a huge capacity to fill when Canada has maxed out what we have to offer in skilled labour and they are trained and they are ready to go. It may take them awhile to get them here, but then they and ready to go to work.”
Roberts says the Saskatchewan wildfire season is now winding down, although there are still about 10 fires burning. This includes the Egg fire which forced a mass evacuation in Northern Saskatchewan in July.