Despite wildfires, the Williston Wildland crew prepared to deploy

Williston, North Dakota – In Alberta, Canada, firefighters are battling roaring fires as the area deals with challenging weather that has complicated efforts to put out fires.

On Friday, there were roughly 94 active wildfires being fought by close to 3,000 firemen, including workers from all over Canada, American agencies, and the Canadian army.

These fires have caused smoke to reach North Dakota.

For these kinds of situations, Williston Firefighters receive wilderness training, and they frequently assist in putting out fires throughout the state and in nearby places.

“All of our folks do go through wildland training and are prepared to provide service for that. We do have some members that are part of our wildland team,” said Fire Chief of the Williston Fire Department Matt Clark. “Those folks do deploy, they have deployed out the last couple summers to different locations.”

Last summer, they were sent to Oregon to assist with fighting wildfires.

The Williston Fire Department stands out because it is the only department in the state to operate both a fire department and an ambulance, giving its crew access to paramedic training as well.

Although the Williston Fireland team has not yet traveled to Canada, firefighters say they may do so if the fires expand further.