Edmonton company builds firefighting equipment kits to help remote communities

With wildfires spreading across the prairies, an Edmonton business, along with a Canadian charity, is helping to fight the fires with units that just need to be put on a pickup truck.

It is called the Fire Skid Program. Each unit contains a tank, able to hold 1,000 litres of water, a pump, and a hose.

This year, the Mobile Solutions Fleet Services has already sent 104 units across the country and even in California.

“We see videos and pictures of this stuff going to work as soon as it is picked up from wherever the depot gets dropped off. We get feedback from fire departments, from Indigenous communities, from all types of communities that get this donated,” said Paul Turczyk, the owner of Mobile Solutions Fleet Services Inc.

Charity Global-Medic partnered with the Edmonton company back in 2023 to create small firefighting equipment for areas that may be inaccessible for a full-size fire truck. Right now they are sending equipment to northern Saskatchewan.

“There are places where you can’t get a full-size fire truck. There are many places, especially when you are looking at a fire happening in the forest. This can go in the back of the pickup and get into really tight spots,” said Turczyk.

Tuesday, Canada’s Minister of Emergency Management says they are keeping a close eye on the wildfire situation on the prairies, and will be matching donations to the Red Cross in Manitoba and Saskatchewan.

“We haven’t had a request for assistance yet from either B.C., Alberta, or Ontario. But when we do, we’ll be there to support those Canadians as well,” said Minister Eleanor Olszewski.

In Alberta, as of Tuesday afternoon, there are 56 wildfires burning, with 26 considered out of control, with a number of communities that are still under evacuation orders.