ESTEVAN — Four members of the Estevan Fire Rescue Service (EFRS) are in northern Saskatchewan to combat wildfires threatening communities.
Deputy Fire Chief Kyle Luc told Estevan city council at their July 14 meeting that the fire department received a call from the Saskatchewan Public Safety Agency (SPSA) late on July 13, asking for equipment and firefighters to deployed to the north. Luc and Fire Chief Rick Davies reached out to the EFRS's members and four agreed to go.
Luc went on to say Lt. Justin Herod and Firefighters Austin Dovell, Nolan LaCoste and Colby Wainman left early July 14 and travelled to the hamlet of Patuanak – a community Luc said is 950 kilometres northwest of Estevan. They took one of the city's fire engines with them.
"We still have an adequate amount of equipment in the city, as well as 16 firefighters ready to respond for any emergencies we do have in the community," said Luc, pointing out the local contingent is helping with structural protection.
According to Luc, the EFRS crew is expected to return to Estevan July 20. Then they are slated to be replaced by another group of four from the EFRS, who will be up north for another six days. If conditions improve, then the schedule could change.
The fire near Patuanak was 150,000 hectares in size as of July 14, he told council. Type 2 wildland firefighters from the SPSA and Type 3 wildland firefighters from Saskatchewan Indigenous and northern communities have been battling the flames. SPSA emergency response teams, helicopters, air tankers, irrigation specialists and other fire departments in the province are also involved.
Redvers, Carlyle, Carnduff, Oxbow and Weyburn are among the communities from the south that have been deployed to wildfires this year.
"Thanks to our guys who took the time [to go up north]," said Luc. "These guys, they didn't have to go. They took the time off work, they managed to make it all go, they're going up there to sleep in the tents and they're doing it all for the province."
Coun. Shelly Veroba wanted to know if this had a cost for the city. Luc replied the EFRS has a contract with the SPSA, so firefighters are paid an agreed-upon rate for 12 hours a day.
Coun. Mathew Dubowski applauded the firefighters who are there and might yet go to help the people up north.
"The fires are really bad, and the north really needs the help up there, so big commendations for your guys up there," said Luc.
Coun. Kirsten Walliser, who asked about the deployment of firefighters to the north during the inquiries portion of the meeting, also asked about the fire department's ongoing recruiting efforts. In years past, the intake was open for a month or so, Luc said, but the EFRS found they didn't get the number of applications needed. This applications were accepted starting in June and will continue until Aug. 29.
"Hopefully we get more applicants this time, and once … people are done summer holidays, we're going to have another open house to get people there. We just want people to bring their families, bring their children, come ask questions and see what it's about. It's a huge time commitment, and we don't want to get people in there and then realize it's more than they thought it was."
The EFRS would like to have around 27 or 28 members.
The department doesn't yet know who will be in the next group of four firefighters to head up north.
"When we put it out that there was a possibility of this happening, it wasn't much of a pitch. It was pretty much everybody saying 'I'll go'," said Luc.
He added Estevan is fortunate to be where it is, so it doesn't have to deal with situations like the northern wildfires.
"If it was here, we'd want people coming to help us out," said Luc.
