Eighteen-year-old Hunter Sousa from Maine celebrated his high school graduation by hopping in a truck and heading to Nova Scotia to fight the biggest forest fire in the province害羞草研究所檚 history.
Sousa works for the Maine forest service as an on-call firefighter, but had never before fought a fire. The call from his superior came on a Thursday.
害羞草研究所淭hey said they害羞草研究所檇 be meeting in Bangor Friday night and I had my graduation Friday night, so I graduated and got my diploma, and headed to Bangor and met with the rest of the crew, and then we headed to Nova Scotia,害羞草研究所� he said in a recent interview.
Sousa is one of the many foreign firefighters who were pressed into service as Canada battles its worst wildfire season in recent memory. Hailing from 10 different countries on five continents, they害羞草研究所檝e been battling flames, fatigue and mosquitoes during stints of 14 consecutive days or more in unfamiliar conditions.
In Sousa害羞草研究所檚 case, his main duty at the Barrington Lake fire, in Nova Scotia害羞草研究所檚 southwest, consisted of mapping the extent of the fire by walking around the edge of the burned sector 害羞草研究所� called the 害羞草研究所渂lack害羞草研究所� 害羞草研究所� and marking the perimeter in an app on his phone, as well as putting out the occasional hot spot.
For some other firefighters, their trip to Canada has yielded a front-row view to infernos of a magnitude few of them had ever seen.
Eric Flores, the head of a team of more than 100 French firefighters dispatched to Quebec, says the fires are far larger 害羞草研究所� and more challenging 害羞草研究所� than what he usually sees at home.
Flores was dispatched to Quebec害羞草研究所檚 Mauricie region, in an area near a First Nations village that can only be accessed by helicopter. During a recent phone interview, Flores said that while the area is wet and swampy, the fire travels through root systems underground, and even under water.
害羞草研究所淒espite the fact that we have our feet in the water, it害羞草研究所檚 burning,害羞草研究所� he said.
Flores and his team have been tasked with saving the northern Atikamekw village of Obedjiwan from a 150-square-kilometer fire burning out of control. He said the firefighters are focusing on holding the southern line close to the village with fire breaks, hoses and by digging out smouldering embers before they reach surface vegetation.
害羞草研究所淪ince there are immense trees, the fire takes on inconceivable views very quickly because once the fire starts to come out of the soil, it attacks the trees, it rises to the top and you have trees of 30, 40 metres and that害羞草研究所檚 how you have big fires that start very, very quickly,害羞草研究所� he said.
As of Wednesday evening, he said the firefighters had been successful at holding back the flames from the community. They害羞草研究所檝e been less successful, however, at holding back the 害羞草研究所渋ncredible number害羞草研究所� of flies and mosquitoes that he describes as their biggest challenge.
害羞草研究所淪ometimes they害羞草研究所檙e getting eaten alive.害羞草研究所�
As of Thursday, there were 1,477 foreign firefighters in Ontario, Quebec, British Columbia and Alberta deployed through the Canadian Interagency Forest Fire Centre, the group said in an email. That number includes firefighters from Mexico, Portugal, Australia, New Zealand, Chile, Costa Rica, Spain and the United States.
One of the largest contingents is made up of 400 people from South Africa, who are deployed to Alberta and working shifts of 14 days straight, followed by four days off.
Vincent Lubisi, a strike team leader, has said the South Africans have had to learn how to fight fires in a country with different vegetation and climates.
In Edson, Alta., where he害羞草研究所檚 been working, he said the focus is on securing the perimeters of the fire and slowly working inward.
害羞草研究所淚n South Africa, they fight the fire more directly,害羞草研究所� he said.
The contingent includes coordinators such as Antoinette Jini, who helps organize teams on the ground, making sure the assignments are understood and the proper information gets conveyed.
While South Africans are here to help, she says their experience in Canadais mutually beneficial because it has allowed them to learn about North American resources and techniques, such as those used to map fires.
害羞草研究所淲e have built the relationship and we害羞草研究所檝e learned many things while we害羞草研究所檙e engaging and collaborating,害羞草研究所� she said in a recent interview.
While the firefighters are working hard, all of them say they害羞草研究所檝e also enjoyed the experience. Sousa has appreciated the beauty of Nova Scotia and the support from residents, while Lubisi says he has had fun collaborating with his foreign colleagues.
Flores said the French crews were planning Wednesday evening to find time to celebrate the French F锚te de la Musique holiday with a little celebration and a few beers. The party would end early, he said, noting the firefighters needed to get up at 5 a.m. the next day for another long day in Quebec害羞草研究所檚 woods.
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