The 100-strong team of firefighters – 30 of whom are women – will be gone for 34 days.
Selection was based on physical fitness, those with a valid yellow card and more than three years' actual firefighting experience, a valid South African passport as well as passing a drug screening test and having a clear criminal record.
Those who made the cut were required to undergo refresher training in Hekpoort, Gauteng, to ensure that they are fit and ready for Canadian conditions. This included map reading, power pumps usage, fireline safety and pre-deployment training on the conditions they can expect in Canada, and the different types of dangerous animals they could encounter.
Canada has been experiencing record-breaking heat and associated dry weather. Large wildland fires are burning in Manitoba province and extreme fire danger exists across other western provinces where more wildland fires are expected. programme is able to call on close to 5,000 firefighters spread throughout the country.
The team will leave for Canada on Tuesday night on a British Airways chartered flight arranged by the CIFFC. They will fly via London to Winnipeg in Canada where they will undergo a Covid-19 PCR test on arrival.
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