NORTHERN SASKATCHEWAN — Two members of the RM of Mount Pleasant No. 2 and Carnduff Fire and Rescue have been in northern Saskatchewan to help fight the wildfires.
Randy Spencer and Mike Pirie arrived in northern Saskatchewan on June 4 and had their first assignment the following day around the community of Molanosa. Speaking with SaskToday while on their way to Ramsey Bay on June 6, they said they wanted to use the skills they possess to help others.
"Our main base camp is at Weyakwin," said Spencer, who expects they will be sent to other communities before they return home next week.
Spencer and Pirie arrived to spell off two members of the Carlyle Fire Department who had been up north since late May. Two firefighters from Carlyle are expected to replace Spencer and Pirie next week. Carlyle also supplied a vehicle the Carnduff firefighters are using.
Spencer said they protected assets in Molanosa and fought bushfires.
"Yesterday [June 5] we hauled in about a mile's worth of hose or a mile and a half's worth of hose into the bush, and we were knocking down bushfires, putting out hotspots and mopping up," said Spencer.
Their work on June 6 included more asset protection, dashing out hotspots and knocking out any fire they see.
Pirie noted they worked about 15 hours on June 5 and he's expecting that will be the normal workload. Some of the crews have worked longer hours.
"For some of the other crews, it was one o'clock [in the morning] when they got back last night, and a couple of the crews start at seven [in the morning] and go from there," Pirie said.
Pirie said their employers and their families have been supportive of their efforts to go up north.
Spencer and Pirie have been members of the Carnduff department for nine years, and both said they have never encountered anything like this. The interactions with the other firefighters have been good, as they have a common purpose of battling the flames.
"Everybody is really good. Everybody works well together. It's a really good group of people," said Spencer.
"Everybody that I've met is super dedicated to trying to save as much as they can, and everybody is working as hard as they can. It's a good group of people," Spencer added later.
They were friends long before they joined the Carnduff department, and they said it was good to be up there with each other.
"We work well as a team in Carnduff and we work well as a team here," said Pirie.
