SASKATOON — Local entrepreneur and volunteer responder Adam Hartle and his team have been part of a multi-agency effort to fight and contain the ongoing wildfires in northern Saskatchewan, which have ravaged communities and forced thousands to evacuate.
Hartle owns the Core Rock Consulting and Construction firm and has been a volunteer firefighter for almost 20 years before deciding to form his company’s Wildfire Division, which is equipped with trucks and other gear designed to fight forest fires.
The Saskatchewan Public Safety Agency has been leading operations to control, contain and prevent the further spread of wildfires in northern Saskatchewan communities. As of Tuesday, June 3, more than 15,000 people have fled the wildfires.
He commended the SPSA and the province’s efforts in ensuring that all firefighters, personnel and volunteers are safe, despite the challenges they face in mitigating the devastation, which is a considerable task at the moment.
Hartle said he and his team have been working hard to assist the province’s wildfire response in affected areas and First Nation communities in Creighton and Montreal Lake.
“Our team is fully deployed, and we are doing everything we can. These wildfires are very dangerous and unpredictable due to high winds and very dry conditions. We need a break in this weather,” Hartle told SaskToday.
“Response areas are so big right now that it’s impossible to say that the focus is on one area. SPSA is everywhere; they have people everywhere. They have deployed a massive number of people, and they are working around the clock.”
“We are banding together, keeping each other safe. Currently, we are available to fulfill special requests from the province. We did an all-day mission yesterday (June 2) into a remote place that was successful,” said Hartle, who added that the response effort is massive, describing an army of firefighters from all over the province.
“My other crews are currently in Creighton after being in Pelican Narrows. My understanding is that the situation at Creighton is unfolding; the fire seems to be all around them, but they are currently safe and have evacuation plans in place.”
Despite the challenging weather conditions, with the winds contributing to the spread of the fire, Hartle said they are not going anywhere. They will remain at the frontlines to help other first responders in a coordinated effort to get the fires under control.
“I believe that everybody will come together, and we will all get through this. Mother Nature has made this challenging, but we are not leaving the province of Saskatchewan. We are staying in this fight for as long as we can," said Hartle.
"Things will be okay. It’s just right now. We have to fight. We must fight to get this addressed, and we all need to work together at all levels of government and private industry. Everybody has to come together.”
