By Rebbeca Marroquin

‘We needed help and other provinces helped us:’ P.A. firefighter gives back

Aug 21, 2017 | 9:30 AM

A young, local firefighter felt fighting British Columbian blazes was much like a debt owed.

Twenty Sask. firefighters were deployed Aug. 3 including Corbin Walberg from Prince Albert. The 24-year-old worked initial attack, meaning responsible for preventing new fires from growing.  

“[There was] smoke in the air basically the entire time we were there, you could smell it all the time, you could see it,” he said.

Walberg has been a firefighter for four years. He recalls the time when Saskatchewan was battling a massive wildfire near La Ronge two years ago. The fire forced more than 12,000 residents to evacuate, the largest evacuation in the province’s history.  

“We needed help and other provinces helped us, so it’s nice to be able to return the favor and go to B.C. and help them,” he said.

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According to a news release from the B.C.’s wildfire information centre online, B.C. extended their provincial state of emergency for the third time on Friday, Aug. 18. As of Friday, there were 138 wildfires burning and over 20,000 residents impacted.

Saskatchewan has deployed a total of 116 firefighters, 56 wildfire specialists, and four aircrafts to aid B.C., according to an email from the Ministry of Enviornment. 

Most firefighters from Sask. were sent to Kamloops, Okanogan, the Quesnell and Cariboo areas.

Terry Breker, a fire base supervisor with the Ministry of Environment, said the wildfire situation in B.C. seems to be getting better, but there are certain areas still not fully under control.

“They’re in for a lot of work yet,” he said.

Breker said they have not received word on any new assignments yet. 

rebbeca.marroquin@jpbg.ca

On Twitter: @becamarroquin