PROFILE: Firefighter Lydia Sono battles blazes at home and abroad

For about six years, Lydia Sono has been fighting fires, both figurative and real. From helping to put out raging wildfires in the forests of Alberta, western Canada, to fighting different kinds of fires in South Africa for women’s rights, she knows all about taking the heat.

Sono is from Schoemansdal, a village in deep rural Mpumalanga on the border with Eswatini, where patriarchy and prejudice prevail. And where the law is often of little help.

Her life as a fighter began soon after she and her partner had been victims of “corrective rape”. When the couple tried to lay a complaint with the local police, they were at first treated with indifference, then with insults. The police refused to press charges against their assailants.

The experiences persuaded the 36-year-old mother of three to take up the battle for LGBTQ+ rights and to campaign against gender-based violence. She started work as a health educator in the area. She also made her story public, garnering so much attention that she formed her own foundation and, in 2017, was awarded the Sunrise Woman Award, which  recognises the excellence of women in various fields.

Another opportunity came when the government expanded one of its public works programmes, Working on Fire, and began recruiting in Sono’s area. She joined what she describes as “an opportunity to grow” and save lives. The programme trains young men and women in wildland firefighting.

Sono was one of those chosen for deployment to Alberta in an international fire-suppression mission. The Canadian province was one of the worst hit by wildfires this year. About 842,000ha of forests were burnt down and about 29,000 people were evacuated from their homes. Through the country, more than 4,000 wildfires, razing about 11Mha, were reported.

The South African contingent was among those from other Canadian provinces and the US, Australia, New Zealand, Chile and Costa Rica that battled the flames in Alberta. Sono was part of a group of 427 South Africans that was sent in June after the Canadian Interagency Forest Fire Centre had asked for this country’s help and the Working on Fire programme responded.

Sono says the opportunities to learn as part of the Mzanzi2 Hotshots team were endless: “Interacting with firefighters from diverse backgrounds allowed me to learn new strategies, share experiences and build lasting relationships. This cross-cultural exchange has undoubtedly contributed to my growth as a firefighter and as an individual.”

The efforts of the South African team received high praise from Canadian authorities. “Our ability to collaborate with firefighting teams from various countries demonstrated our adaptability and our skill in handling challenging situations on an international scale. Our humanitarian efforts were lauded by the Canadian community at large,” Sono says.

 “It was a life-changing opportunity, I learnt that as a woman I can do it, and that in high-pressure situations I keep calm, work hard and achieve the goal. Our teamwork made things easier. I focused on the end goal and we helped each other all the time with the buddy system that was part of operations.”

So how does fighting fires in South Africa differ from doing so in Canada?

“South Africa has open fires that you can see. In Canada we fought underground fires, with tools that are not the same as the fire-beaters we use here at home. It is more dangerous there than in South Africa. Fires are deep in the ground, with some burning [behind] the tree barks. Canadian trees usually have hotspots that extend far into their roots, ready to ignite at any moment. It is crucial to take proactive measures.

“We had zero injuries during operations, despite the dangerous environment,” Sono says.