P.E.I. firefighters return home after battling wildfires in Alberta
'Conditions were really hot and dry'
A group of Island firefighters has returned home safe after spending the past two weeks battling raging wildfires in northern Alberta.
The five, who have special training and certification to fight forest and wildfires, left May 26 and spent two weeks out west assisting crews from other provinces.
Crews focused primarily on protecting land around Manning, a community nearly 600 kilometres northwest of Edmonton.
"Conditions were really hot and dry," Nick Thompson said. "They hadn't received very much rain, and fire activity was pretty intense."
We train for this and the smoke can be intense at times, as well as the heat."
Thompson, who has helped fight fires in Ontario, B.C., and even Montana, was responsible for the safety of 65 firefighters on the ground.
"It is a busy job," Thompson said. "The number one priority is safety of the individuals."
Members of the team worked to secure the fire perimeter, identify hot spots and prevent future flare-ups.
'We have people that are ready'
Now that he is back home, Nick Thompson said the experience of fighting wildfires in Alberta will help ensure they're ready in the event of similar fires in P.E.I.
"This one was a bit challenging," he said. "We had to evacuate a small town, so those opportunities might arise in P.E.I. in the future, but it's better to have the experience than not."
"That's the big perk for us as a jurisdiction," added Mike Montigny, manager of field services for the province.
"We're out there, we're helping, we're doing what we can, but we're getting that knowledge and we're getting that experience that we can bring back home here. When something happens here … we have people that are ready."