Alberta soldiers deployed to Saskatchewan to fight wildfires
First time since 2003 Canadian military personnel brought in to battle inferno
About 450 members of the Princess Patricia Light Infantry in Edmonton have been deployed to help extinguish forest fires innorthern Saskatchewan.
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"We're accustomed to dealing and operating in high-threat areas," saidCol.Trevor Cadieu, commander of the 1Canadian Mechanized Brigade in Edmonton.
The Calgary Eyeopener reachedCadieu Wednesday morning from the armoury in Prince Alberta, Sask., where soldierswere getting geared up to conduct fire line operations in La Ronge and Montreal Lake.
He says the Canadian Armed Forces has brought inlightarmouredvehiclesto help troops reachsome of the tougher areas.
"They'll be conducting patrols in various communities and identify and suppress hot spots."
Thelast time military personnel werebrought in to managewildfires wasin British Columbia in 2003.
"What is not uncommon to us though, is deploying troops in support of Canadians.It's our number one priority," said Cadieu.
He adds that many members ofPrincess Patricia Light Infantry in Edmonton who are currentlyinnorthernSaskatchewan also assisted in the2013 Alberta floods, says Cadieu.
He says troopswill stay as long as they are needed.
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