Prince William speaks with Canadian firefighters following 'unprecedented' wildfires
Prince William calls with Canadian Firefighters
Prince William has called a group of Canadian firefighters to see how they are doing following their "unprecedented" wildfires.
The Prince of Wales spoke with firefighters across Canada to hear about their experiences of tackling the country’s worst wildfire season on record.
The 41-year-old labelled the recent events "unprecedented in the years of Canadian wildfires".
William added: "I bet people are thankful to all of you protecting their communities and their livelihoods.
"It's crucial what you guys have done."
After hearing the firefighters tell their accounts of the past few days, the Prince of Wales stressed the importance of rallying around each other.
Canada has had awful wildfires
Kensington Palace
He asked: "Has the community and all the firefighters, have you rallied around each other to keep yourselves going?
"Because obviously when this happens during the sharp end of all the stuff you're doing and the fires you're fighting, it's very difficult to keep going and keep your mind focused on what you're trying to do."
Canada has seen approximately 18.5 million hectares burned by over 6,500 fires.
The country has also seen tens of thousands of people being evacuated from their homes.
Prince William has praised the bravery of the firefighters
Reuters
During the call, which took place on Wednesday, October 18, the royal heard about the scale of the effort to tackle the wildfires including the number of Canadian firefighters involved and the provision of international support.
Those on the call also spoke about the impact of the difficult season on the firefighter community, which suffered several fatalities, and the support available to them to maintain their wellbeing and recover from their unprecedented workload.
Participants in the call were located in Nova Scotia, British Columbia, Quebec and the Northwest Territories.
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Satellite image shows wildfires in British Columbia and Alberta
Reuters
The Prince of Wales finished the call by saying: "Thank you so much for all of you and all your teams doing a tremendous job this season, because frankly it must have been terrifying at times.
"You must have felt completely out of control, completely swamped.
"But relying on each other, relying on the kit, the training that you've done, you've clearly all pulled through and done a brilliant job and I only hope this is a one off and you don't have any more seasons like this for quite some time.
"Please stay safe, look after each other, but ultimately thank you so much for the courage and the determination you've all shown to get yourself through the season."
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