The wildfire that tore through Slave Lake, Alta. in 2011 destroyed roughly a third of the town. More than 7,000 people were forced from their homes, and 732 were left homeless.

Some found their way to Kevin Younker’s hometown about 130 kilometers away in Athabasca. They were the inspiration for his mission to stop the next wildfire in its tracks.

“It was devastating watching them every day. They were heartbroken,” he told CTV News Edmonton. “I figured there’s got to be a better way to deal with forest fires.”

Four years and four million dollars later, he’s come up with a flame-busting water pump that he says is lighter and more powerful than anything on the market. It can blast nearly 4,000 litres per minute to a distance of more than 150 metres.

The pump was recently put to the test against the massive wildfire that devastated Fort McMurray last spring. Younker sent emergency authorities a video demonstrating the power of his invention. He said they didn’t waste any time before picking up the phone.

“They got back to me within half an hour and said they could use every one of the pumps we have,” he said.

Younker said he and his team were sent to help keep the flames at bay in Lac la Biche before being deployed to Fort McMurray to put out hotspots. They also put the pumps to work filling water tankers.

“It was taking an hour and a half to fill these tanks prior,” he said. “When we started using our pump, it took us eight minutes start to finish to fill.”

The lightweight design allows them to be mounted to rugged all-terrain vehicles. They can start sucking and spraying within seconds of connecting to a water source.

Younker said he regrets that his pumps weren’t able to be deployed earlier in the battle to save Fort McMurray. They were considered new, untested technology when the blaze started threatening the region in early May.

“The pumps could have been out there and made quite a difference,” Younker said.

He's hopeful they will be able to play a vital role against other fires. Younker says his company has inked a five-year contract with the Alberta government to keep communities safe in the future.

With a report from CTV Edmonton’s Amanda Anderson.