It is summer in Northern Manitoba and once again we have seen a significant number of forest fires.

In fact with the hot dry weather we have seen a high level of forest fire risk throughout the North.

We have already been reminded of just how much we rely on our forest firefighters.

I had the opportunity to see our firefighting teams first hand when I visited Cranberry Portage during the recent major Kisseynew Lake forest fire. The fire was a very significant fire. When I was in Cranberry Portage it was already one of the biggest in history in terms of impact. The fire had already resulted in the evacuation of Cranberry Portage and the closure of the Sherridon highway

It was clear that the fire was a real challenge to fight. Early on several pieces of equipment were lost when the fire rapidly changed direction. The fire produced intense heat and thick smoke was a real problem.

What was most striking about the response was just how co-ordinated it was. The fire response combined the water bombers and on the ground firefighting. Staff from numerous government departments and the staff at the Manitoba Association of Native Firefighters worked with the local municipality the RM of Kelsey, the First Nation community in Pukatawagan and the Northern Affairs community of Sherridon to coordinate the response. Every effort was put into ensuring the protection of people and communities.

As MP for Churchill I can't say enough about everyone that is part of protecting us against forest fires. We owe a special thanks to our dedicated firefighting crews. We have already been reminded of the critical role the play.

Given the weather this year it is clear we are going to see a lot more of our dedicated forest firefighters throughout the summer.