Firefighting crews from South Africa arrived in Canada on Monday bringing some much needed joy and positivity to a challenging time in Alberta as the province continues to battle wildfires.
In a video shared by Alberta Wildfire on X, South African firefighters in bright yellow shirts can be seen dancing and singing with big smiles on their faces.
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau reshared the video on Monday, and extended gratitude to the team. “Canadians are thankful for each and every one of you. 🇨🇦🇿🇦,” he posted on X.
This week, additional firefighters from Australia and Mexico have arrived to join Canadian crews in tackling the wildfires. Trudeau announced that more firefighters from New Zealand and Australia are also on their way.
“There’s no better act of friendship between nations. We’re forever grateful. 🇦🇺🇲🇽🇳🇿🇿🇦,” he added.
In response to the video, a user on X commented, “Love the energy with this positivity, the fires don’t stand a chance. Thank you to South Africa and all other nations that have come to our assistance.”
“Their songs and spirits are so heartwarming. Thank you for coming!,” added another X user.
While many people are calling them “heroes,” they are also hoping that the firefighters are being compensated fairly, and have been provided health coverage for coming all the way, and lending a hand.
Meanwhile, firefighters from Ontario have also travelled to Alberta to support the efforts.
As of Monday afternoon, the wildfire in Jasper National Park remains active and is classified as out of control, as per the municipality of Jasper. The park remains closed to the public and under evacuation order.
Parks Canada estimates that 30 per cent of Jasper’s structures have been damaged, with 358 of the town’s 1,113 structures destroyed.
Jasper has released a high-resolution map and a list of affected properties, detailing the damage over the past week.
Additionally, the Canadian Red Cross has launched a provincewide bottle drive as part of their Alberta Day of Caring initiative. Albertans wishing to contribute can label their donations “these are for Jasper” when dropping off bottles at any Bottle Depot on Wednesday, July 31.
The Government of Canada and the Government of Alberta will match every dollar donated to the Canadian Red Cross 2024 Alberta Fires Appeal, effectively tripling the impact of each contribution.
“Incident management staff sincerely appreciate the immense goodwill and kind words shared by Jasperites and park visitors from Alberta, Canada, and from around the world. Just know, your love and encouragement are much appreciated by the folks who continue to respond to this wildfire,” a Jasper municipality statement said.
