Canada on fire: how a Luxembourg pilot is battling wildfires

Forest fires in Canada in 2025 are among the most destructive in recent years, with more than 2.2 million hectares of forest destroyed and more than 30,000 people displaced from their homes. The situation is particularly dire in the western provinces of Saskatchewan and Ontario, where firefighting teams on the ground depend on accurate and rapid air support.

One of these air rescuers is Kim Wickler, a helicopter pilot from Luxembourg, trained in Quebec and now in his fourth year in Canada as a commercial pilot. He is currently based in Kenora, in western Ontario, where he is involved in firefighting operations, performing both spillways and infrared camera reconnaissance.

During missions in Saskatchewan, Wikler uses the so-called Bambi bucket, a water tank suspended beneath the helicopter, which he uses to dump water directly onto the fires. The job requires surgical precision because the helicopter must hover at low altitudes above the fire, often in dense smoke and heavy turbulence.

Apart from the flames themselves, air coordination is a major hazard: several helicopters and firefighting aircraft can operate in the same area, all without the help of control towers. For the pilot, this is a constant stress, akin to an improvised ballet in the air, where the slightest mistake can lead to tragedy.

Reconnaissance flights are an equally important part of the job. At dawn, before the first rays of the sun, Wikler takes to the skies in a helicopter equipped with an infrared camera. The thermal imaging camera allows him to find so-called "hot spots" - areas of smouldering forest that are invisible to the naked eye, but can reignite with the slightest breeze. This data is relayed to teams on the ground so they can finish the fire.

When the active phase of firefighting is over, the pilots' work does not end. They remain involved in transporting workers to hard-to-reach areas, as well as filming for television and documentary projects.