The province says they’re getting ready for wildfire season, and with a record number of recruits they’re hopeful for a smooth season.
Last year, in October, the BC Wildfire Service says they’ve received more than 2,200 applications which is the highest amount they’ve seen. They say this includes 578 in January alone, the largest number ever in a single month.
Minister of Forest Ravi Parmar says he’s impressed with the number of applications, and this just goes to show just how many people are brave enough to step up and keep everyone safe.
“The heart of our wildfire efforts is hands down the brave members of the BC Wildfire Service,” he says. “I’m proud of everyone who put their name forward to join our team and grateful to all the wildland firefighters who continue to keep us safe year after year.”
According to the province, they’re working to keep communities safe going into this season by focusing on four pillars of emergency management including prevention, preparedness, response, and recovery.
Parmar says there is more to prevention than stopping fires, it’s about supporting each other and so far, it has already been a busy season.
“The BC Wildfire Service has already had a busy start to 2025, supporting neighbours in California as they dealt with devastating wildfires,” he says. “This was an invaluable opportunity to collaborate on our shared work and prepare for our wildfire season in BC.”
As part of training for the upcoming season, the province says a dedicated model for First Nation communities is being expanded this spring which will build local capacity, strengthen relationships between the local First Nation and fire centre, improve response time, and address needs heard from the communities.
Each year the province has roughly 200 openings or crew member positions in locations across BC.
