A new Wildland Sprinkler Trailer will enhance the firefighting capabilities of Lethbridge Fire and Emergency Services. (Photo: Lethbridge News Now)

By David Opinko

New Wildland Sprinkler Trailer to enhance firefighting efforts in Lethbridge area

Aug 26, 2025 | 1:18 PM

Lethbridge and the surrounding communities will be able to rely on new firefighting equipment.

Greg Adair, Chief of Lethbridge Fire and Emergency Services (LFES), says the $137,000 Wildland Sprinkler Trailer marks a significant investment into public safety.

“Our mission is to protect lives, property and the environment, and this new equipment will help us achieve that,” says Adair. “The Wildland Sprinkler Trailer is a tool that enhances our operational readiness.”

LFES qualified officer Chris Jorgensen explains that the trailer contains everything they need to tackle a larger grass or structure fire, including multiple water pumps, hoses, sprinkler heads and built-in storage.

“The idea is that we can put up a series of large impact sprinklers to create a wet line, or a wall, if you will, to stop wildfires from moving. We can use this to stop a frontal fire to come into a neighbourhood, or we can use it to surround a structure to protect it,” says Jorgensen.

Nighttime construction on Hwy 3 in Lethbridge starts April 17

Apr 17, 2025

SASHA launches #BuyABed fundraiser to support vulnerable Lethbridge residents

Apr 04, 2025

$20K grants available: TELUS STORYHIVE Pan-Asian Edition opens applications April 1

Mar 18, 2025

He adds that the equipment now being deployed in Lethbridge is similar to what was used to suppress the Kenow Wildfire in Waterton Lakes National Park.

The 2017 blaze burned approximately 35,000 hectares of land, affecting 80 per cent of the park’s hiking trail network and destroying several campsites.

Jorgensen says the sprinkler technology was crucial in preventing the fire from destroying the Waterton townsite.

“It would run for hours and hours before the fire came, so it soaked all the fuels down, so any hot embers coming in are unlikely to create ignition. It increases the humidity in the area, so fire behaviour drops down, so it’s easier to approach to actually suppress or extinguish it,” says Jorgensen. “Actual direct fire suppression – so, if in fact the fire gets up to it, then the fuels are wet and the water hits it and it just shuts it right down.”

The Wildland Sprinker Trailer will be especially effective in the Lethbridge River Valley, where there are few fire hydrants. The hoses can reach nearly one kilometre.

LFES has resource-sharing agreements with neighbouring communities, so if, for example, there was a large fire in Lethbridge County, this trailer could be sent out to aid in the firefighting effort.