New air tankers from Quebec en route to Sask. to battle wildfires
CTV
New air tankers will join the fleet in Saskatchewan to help fight the wildfires burning throughout the province's north.
New air tankers will join the fleet in Saskatchewan to help fight the wildfires burning throughout the province's north.
Marlo Pritchard, Saskatchewan Public Safety Agency (SPSA) president and fire commissioner, said the government of Quebec provided two CL415 amphibious tankers to complement the current aerial tanker support.
"These tankers are en route to Saskatchewan and we expect them to be integrated into our fleet this weekend," he said on Friday.
Pritchard said the tankers will be available for the next two weeks, but have the opportunity to extend their stay if required.
The support is provided through an existing mutual aid agreement between the two provinces.
"A total of four pilots and two engineers will accompany the aircraft and these tankers will initially be based out of La Ronge," he said, noting that they will redeploy people as needed.
The tankers will be coming into Saskatchewan from the Canadian Interagency Forest Centre, according to Peter Boniface, executive director of aviation operations at the SPSA.
