B.C. wildland firefighters gearing up for an ‘above average’ fire season

B.C. wildland firefighters say they have secured new respiratory gear ahead of an earlier, dryer wildfire season than previous years.

Earlier this month, Vancouver city council announced a budget increase to help purchase new, safer gear for the city’s structural firefighters.

BC Wildfire Service Information Officer Forrest Tower tells CityNews that, though wildland firefighters have different equipment needs, the provincial group is also getting upgrades.

“We are adding some protective gear in the form of respirators that we are using on a non-trial basis for the first time this year,” said Tower.

He explains that while upgrades have been ongoing throughout the years, extended fire seasons worsened by climate change have led to more exposure for crews and an increased need for better protection.

2023 was the worst wildfire season in B.C.’s recorded history.

Tower says weather conditions have made preparing and training firefighters busier than ever before. He says unless it rains much more than usual in June, indicators suggest an even earlier start to this year’s season in B.C.

“There’s conditions present right now that could make it busy. We’re in similar, if not worse, drought conditions than we were last spring in a lot of B.C.,” said Tower. “The snow pack has an effect, it is not the biggest indicator of what our season will be like, but it certainly doesn’t help in terms of recovering drought levels over winter.”

Tower says while crews are doing everything they can to face wildfires, he’d like to encourage public preparedness.

“It really does go a long way in terms of our ability to respond safely and effectively.”