EDMONTON, Alberta — Firefighters from across Canada have gathered in Strathcona County to learn more about responding to wildland fires in urban areas. The county is the first Canadian community in 2024 to host the International Association of Fire Fighters (IAFF) Responding to the Interface (RTI) program to further their specialized training in fighting wildfires that burn in areas where communities meet grasslands and forests. On Tuesday, firefighters took part in an operational readiness exercise, acting as if a wildfire was coming towards the Busenius Estates neighbourhood in the county directly east of Edmonton. …“For structural firefighters, we’re used to having a fire, if you will, inside of box and we’re really good at keeping that fire in that box,” said Mark Brise, master instructor with IAFF. The program equips firefighters with tactics, strategies and skills to respond effectively to wildland urban interface fires and be able to train other firefighters.