Jarrod King, one of our firefighters in the north, is now on the other side of the globe lending a hand to battle the ongoing Canadian Wildfires.
He’s joining 55 other firefighters from the NSW Rural Fire Service that made the trek to Canada where 400 fires are roaring and 129 are classified as out of control.
King is working on fighting the fires at Bak Lake, Ontario, where he is the safety officer for 120 firefighters and support workers.
Firefighting is clearly in Jarrod’s blood, as his father and grandfather were also firefighters.
Jarrod’s Father Keith said that he and his mother were very proud of their son for going there to assist.
“We’re certainly proud of him.
“It’s a great experience and a wonderful opportunity to repay the Canadian firefighters that came over and assisted us with our bushfires in 2019.
“It’s a 30-day deployment and he left on July 27, and when he gets back he will have to quarantine for two weeks.
“As his parents, naturally we worry about him fighting fires so far away, and COVID plus the high temperatures over there, but we’re so happy he’s doing this.
“He flew to Ontario and then to Thunder Bay and then they drove up to Bak Lake which is about 500kms from Thunder Bay.
“We last spoke to him when he arrived in Thunder Bay, so I’m assuming that they don’t have very good reception out there.
“He’s been a firefighter for years, so this is a great new experience for him and a good opportunity to climb the fire brigade ladder,” Keith said.
Joining NSW Fire and Rescue in 1991, Jarrod is ranked as an Inspector, and he is currently the Central Coast Operational Commander for NSW Fire and Rescue based out of Kariong Station.
The wildfires currently burning across Canada and parts of the US have been caused by record high temperatures and a lack of rain.
In Ontario, where Jarrod is currently assisting with firefighting efforts, over 5,000 properties have been evacuated.
Harry Mulholland