An Edmonton-area firefighting company that says it has bulletproof forest fire technology was forced to cool its heels while Jasper burned over a contract dispute with the Alberta government.
Rick Solomon, president of Onoway-based Firefox Wildfire Inc., insists his innovative Alberta-made ‘Barricade Gel’ made from local-grown canola, could have saved Jasper — all of it — but wasn’t given the chance after failing to reach contract terms with the Alberta Wildfire department stemming from last year’s disastrous season.
In an exclusive interview with The Western Standard, Solomon said his company is the only one that has ever put out a Category 5 blaze in B.C. like the one that devastated Jasper, in less than two days.
Firefox claims it’s the only company to put out a Level 5 fire like the one that destroyed Jasper.
Firefox claims it’s the only company to put out a Level 5 fire like the one that destroyed Jasper.Firefox
Not only does he claim that he could’ve put the Jasper blaze completely out in a similar amount of time, Solomon said his technology could have co-ordinated a massive aerial controlled burn that would have prevented it in the first place.
“Well, right now we're banging our head against the wall, watching, watching,” he said. “I'm sure you've heard of the old boys club?”
“And that's what they tell me… Oh, don't worry about Jasper, it's insured. Don't worry about the people or the old folks that lost their home. It's insured. They'll rebuild. That's what they told us at the meeting. And we have that on tape, but it's pathetic Shaun, really. It is.”
Barricade gel being loaded on the tarmac
Barricade gel being loaded on the tarmacFirefox
Level 5 blaze
Level 5 blazePatrick Hildebrand/Firefox
His company had previously been called in to assist in Kelowna in 2003 and again at Tyaughton in 2009. He’s had calls for demonstrations in Mexico and has been called to help in California.
Firefox’s patented ‘Barricade’ fire blocking gel is unique because it uses canola mixed with a water based polymer manufactured by Dow Chemical in Fort Saskatchewan to not only extinguish fires, but stop it in its tracks.
It’s been approved by the US Forest Service and can be used in single engine air tankers, bucket helicopters and even by firefighters on the ground using fire engines. Not only can it be sprayed from the air, it can be preventatively applied to buildings and infrastructure.
And it breaks back down to water in less than 28 days.
Solomon says it’s much safer for the environment than chemical retardants and can be manufactured in Alberta at a fraction of the cost. During demos, he coats his finger with it and sets it on fire using a Zippo.
“It’s basically snot,” he says. “If the tree’s on fire, it puts it out. And if you put it on a tree, it won't. When the fire comes, it just puts the fire out because it has no fuel, it takes away the fuel and everything else.”
Main sticking points in the contract dispute with the Alberta government are overtime wages and manufacturing costs. Solomon says Alberta Wildfire essentially wants him to bear all the upfront costs without any guarantee of longer term compensation.
“I'm not going to put out $10 million and neither is my bank to finance the Alberta government that spends a billion dollars a year and can't put out a campfire,” he said.
“We can fill air tankers right on a highway. We have all the technology. We've been vetted. I have got, I don't know, probably 20 studies, you know. And they just keep throwing studies at us. And all my equipment is has been vetted. It's all been approved. We're totally approved, but they won't use our technology.
https://www.westernstandard.news/alberta/exclusive-alberta-company-with-silver-bullet-tech-sat-on-sidelines-while-jasper-burned-over-contract-dispute/56479
New report denounces Havana and claims ‘campaign of subversion’ has infiltrated highest levels of US government
"...There is overwhelming evidence that the machinery of the Cuban Government has been progressively organized around… a fundamental hatred of the United States,” the report stated. “Many of the most significant upheavals in recent American political history —from the George Floyd riots to the rise of Antifa to the explosion of pro-terrorist activism on American college campuses— can be linked, in some way, shape, or form to Cuban influence.”
The report doesn’t just hand-wave. It names names. It details how the Venceremos Brigade and other “revolutionary tourism” programs have funneled thousands of American activists to Havana for ideological (and sometimes literal) weapons training.
The Venceremos Brigade has brought 10,000 American activists to Cuba since 1969. This is because nothing says “I am fighting for the oppressed working class” quite ...
Now there is a plan! Of course dumb Canadians will not have the courage to vote with their brains, instead of their propagandized feelings of fear.
Canada’s economy is stalling badly.
We just endured the worst decade for real GDP growth per person since the Great Depression.
Over the past ten years, real GDP per capita limped along at an average of just 0.6% annually.
And Bloomberg’s consensus forecast for 2026? A paltry 0.7%.
Why does GDP matter?
Because family disposable income follows GDP like a shadow. Anemic economic growth resulting from lower investment means stagnant wages. Period.
The Liberals and fake Conservatives won't fix this.
The People's Party has a comprehensive plan to unleash private investment, supercharge productivity, and put more money back into your pocket:
Make the Accelerated Capital Cost Allowance (ACCA) permanent – Let businesses write off capital investments rapidly and skyrocket cash flow.
End Corporate Welfare – Zero subsidies. Zero bailouts. Zero regional ...
