Four members of Miami Fire & Rescue volunteered to help fight the Lac du Bonnet wildfire last week.
Blake Angers, Scott Hainsworth, Darrin Pearson and Quinn Bridgeman served on the Value Protection team, managing properties along five lakes.
“It was a totally new experience for us, and we learned so much from the few days we were there,” said Angers, a captain with the department.
When the Lac du Bonnet Fire Department put out a call to Manitoba fire departments for assistance in battling the now 4,000-hectare fire, Miami’s volunteers each jumped into their personal vehicles on June 7 and stepped into the line of duty. They stayed in the area for up to five days, returning home as needed to meet other obligations.
Angers noted Lac du Bonnet only requested personnel, which is why the team left their own equipment behind.
The Miami crew was tasked with protecting lakefront properties by attaching sprinklers to rooftops and using hoses and pumps to draw water from the lake. The properties were then saturated with water to guard against fire damage.
“It was a success,” said Angers. “None of the buildings burned on the lakes we were tasked with taking care of.”
He added that this was the first time the crew had used this kind of protection method, as they are more accustomed to deploying tankers and creating fire breaks. Despite the unfamiliar territory, Angers said the coordination and communication from the Office of the Fire Commissioner was excellent—especially with crews arriving from outside Manitoba, including the Maritimes, Quebec and Colorado.
“The experience and knowledge we gained was extremely valuable to us. We don’t have piles of lakes out here, so seeing it handled that way was really neat.”
Angers credited their success to a strong team and a supportive community.
“We have a fantastic group of people, and with them—plus their families’ ongoing support—it’s possible to make these efforts that preserve properties and the lives of others.”
