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Portland Fire Brigade Captain Ian Hamley has spent three weeks lending his expertise to Canada's firefighting efforts to help assist in combating their significant wildfire season.
Having departed on Monday, 14 July to Manitoba, Ian has drawn on his experience as a Forest Industry Brigades Coordinator to perform the role of Operations Section Chief.
Fire activity remains rife in Thompson, in a region where four active areas of fire are impacting the community, with warm, windy and dry conditions set to intensify fire behaviour for days.
For Ian, each morning starts with an Incident Management Team meeting to review the previous 24 hours of fire activity, before heading to the airport to work alongside the Air Operations and Divisional Commander.
"Post-briefing I usually conduct a helicopter reconnaissance flight over the fire areas to pinpoint priority zones and to plan the crews' next day of assignments," Ian said.
"My primary responsibility is to identify key areas of concern and coordinate crew deployments and water bombers as needed.
"We have five Quebecois, four Mexican and two local firefighting crews all working on the Mystery Lake fire. It remains our top priority as it still poses a threat to the city of Thompson."
Now well entrenched in the operations, Ian has observed how Canadian fire suppression strategies differ significantly to Australia, largely due to the water sources available.
"Their primary approach involves aerial bucketing from helicopters to cool down fire activity before ground crews are deployed to the fire line," Ian said.
"Unlike us, they don't use tankers or slip-on units. They rely entirely on portable pumps and extensive hose lays to tackle the fire edge, as well as dozer lines when the terrain allows for it.
"Crews are inserted directly onto the fire line via helicopter and then set up camp onsite. Once a helipad is established, supplies are then airlifted to them.
"They typically remain on the fire line for 24 consecutive days, followed by four days of rest. Every seven days they are rotated out briefly overnight for a shower and laundry."
Ian has gained deeper insights into hose lay techniques and how they could be effectively applied in Australia, especially in culturally sensitive or remote areas.
"The success of hose lay operations depends heavily on having a reliable water source, and Canada's abundant water resources contrast sharply with Australia's scarcity," Ian said.
"We'd need to truck in substantial amounts of water to make this method viable.
"In Canada, fires burn through neat forests with poplar canopy trees. Although the surface can be damp, the elevated fuel load is what sustains the fire and allows the spread along the treetops.
"They also use a ranking system to assess fire intensity, from Rank 1 for low, up to Rank 6 for extreme, adding another layer to understanding and predicting fire dynamics on the ground."
While Ian earned a three-day rest break, he reflects fondly on the fishing trip the local fire chief treated them to at Paint Lake where they spent an afternoon cooking and reeling in pickerel.
"We took some time to explore the island and were lucky enough to spot a bald eagle and come across some fresh moose tracks. The local community was incredibly welcoming," Ian said.
"I've really valued the opportunity to work alongside fire agencies from around the globe and learn from their diverse experiences and how they tailor efforts to their unique terrains.
"The Mexican crews have added an extra layer of entertaining camaraderie by trying to teach me Spanish. It's given me insight into their impressive endurance and skill as firefighters.
"Collaborating with the Canadian teams has been nothing short of rewarding. Their knowledge and practical approach to suppression tactics have taught me a great deal about what methods are truly effective in the field—and which ones aren't."
Ian will return home on Saturday, 16 August with a wealth of knowledge heading into the Victorian fire season.
