It all started near the founder’s (Rick) farm near Tomahawk, Alberta. A fire started as a brush fire at the neighbor’s farm. As the wind picked up, trees and muskeg caught fire. Three fire departments were dispatched. As a good neighbor, Rick couldn’t stand back and watch everything burn. He quickly fabricated a tank system on a skidder, and fought the fire at night. While 5 buildings burned, the rest of the farm, and residence, were saved. The area Fire-Chief later commented about how effective and industrious Rick’s system worked. A week later, the Fire-Chief called to see whether Rick still had the rig for another fire. Now Rick’s company deployed more equipment and people, and extinguished the fire in one night (saving the ranch from more than $1M in damage). Rick and his company was officially a specialized, wildfire business endeavour.
In the year 2000, Rick and his company were called for a fire in Parkland. Before they had a chance to get started, another county had already called in air-tankers to drop fire retardant. Supposedly, this would demonstrate how to do it better. It was the first time he had witnessed the deployment of long-term retardant (LTR). He was surprised at how ineffective the pink product was. It didn’t seem to make any difference. Two farms were lost in the process. This provided all the incentive and drive that he needed to start Firefox Wildfire, to seek out a superior product for air drops, and develop a better strategy to protect Alberta.
In 2001, now operating under Firefox Wildfire, was hired again by the county. Equipped with some new pumps and rigs, Firefox sourced, and began using a couple early stage “firegels”. The proved superior to foams and any other product, the firegel put out the fire, and kept the fire extinguished (held the line). It stopped a very large 2500 hectare fire. This changed the course of wildfire control, like never before.
Rick tried out the early version of Barricade Gel, with Incredible results. Far Superior to foam, suppressing the fire. It wouldn’t just put the fire out, it would keep the fire down (hold the line).
We are now on a mission to education, demonstrate and support, implementing widespread, the use of FIregel, as an effective tool in controlling devastating wildfires. Through superior firefighting technology, we’ve made it our mission to save lives, land, and property. We share the urgency of fire crews on the frontlines, and we’re working tirelessly to make our superior fire suppression gel (Firegel) the new standard in the battle against wildfires.