Civil service preps to boost wildland firefighter numbers
Around 40 Island civil service workers are preparing for wildland firefighter training, which could nearly double the number of provincially paid firefighters if all succeed. The province is collaborating with Natural Resources Canada to boost wildland firefighting...
B.C. to open first-of-its-kind wildfire training, education centre in Kamloops.
Kamloops will host North America's first school for wildfire training and education, a collaboration between TRU and the BC Wildfire Service. The school will offer subjects from basic wildfire training to post-doctoral research, with credits applicable to...
‘It’s never been this low’: Connecticut fire chief sounds alarm on paramedic shortage.
A national paramedic shortage is severely impacting the New Haven Fire Department. According to Fire Chief John Alston, with 53 vacancies among over 300 budgeted firefighter positions, the department is operating with only about one-third of its usual paramedic staff....
Saskatoon Fire Department year-in-review highlights increase in calls
In 2023, the Saskatoon Fire Department handled 25,176 calls for service, a 57% increase from 2019's 16,029 calls. This incident rise was highlighted in the 2023 SFD Year in Review presented at this week's environment, utilities, and corporate services committee...
Solar Chimney Dual Purpose Aids in Home Heating and Fire Safety
Researchers in Melbourne, Australia, have developed a solar chimney that's both energy-efficient and fire-safe, a first-of-its-kind innovation for sustainable building features. Click here for an additional 7 interesting facts about solar panels. Click here to read...
Broken power pole and downed wires caused the largest fire in Texas history, investigator says.
A Texas A&M Forest Service investigator's report released on Friday revealed that a power line sparked the largest wildfire in Texas history. The investigation pinpointed the decayed base of a power line pole as the cause of the Smokehouse Creek fire. AOL News...
San Francisco introduces new fire code for lithium-ion battery safety.
San Francisco's Fire Department announced implementing a new fire code policy, focusing on charging and storing lithium-ion batteries for Powered Mobility Devices (PMDs). This policy responds to a notable rise in fires attributed to lithium-ion batteries. Henceforth,...
Thompson at crisis point on firefighter vacancies union.
The Thompson Professional Firefighters Association raises concerns about escalating call volumes and stagnant staffing levels, warning of potential impacts on public safety. The fire department in the northern Manitoba city is currently short eight full-time members,...
Forever chemicals in protective gear could be killing Colorado firefighters.
A recent report from the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) reveals concerning levels of cancer-causing PFAS and persistent chemicals in the textiles used for manufacturing firefighters' protective coats and pants. CBS News Colorado
Be prepared for the worst’: governments, Indigenous leaders receive ‘alarming, but not surprising’ wildfire forecast.
Persistent drought reduced snowpack levels in Western Canada, and an early onset of wildfires in Alberta have put federal, provincial, and territorial governments on high alert for yet another demanding summer season. HillTimes Storey Alberta
Firefighters face difficult weather conditions as they battle the largest wildfire in Texas history.
Firefighters combating Texas' largest wildfire encounter worsening weather conditions this Saturday. Although rain and snow on Thursday aided in containing a portion of the blaze, the National Weather Service in Amarillo has issued a red flag warning for the entire...
Minnesota’s wildfire season has already started, and fire risk is heightened through the spring.
The wildfire season in Minnesota started earlier than usual, with a national forecasting group predicting that heightened fire danger in the state would persist at least through April. Star News Minnesota
Ontario injects nearly $3M to upgrade 911 technology in Barrie and South Simcoe.
The province is allocating close to $3 million to aid Barrie Fire, Barrie Police Services, and South Simcoe Police Services in adopting 'Next Generation' 911 technology. Barrie CTV News
Charlottetown PEI firefighters welcome significant gains in arbitration award
Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island Local 5219 members celebrate a groundbreaking arbitration decision that brings substantial and overdue salary increases. Moreover, it transitions firefighters from an outdated eight-hour shift schedule to the prevalent 24-hour shift...
Insurance rates soar for Traders Cove family after wildfire
After experiencing wildfires impacting three of their properties in 2023, a West Kelowna family now faces a steep rise in insurance costs. Despite making claims, their insurer dropped them, forcing them to seek coverage elsewhere. Only one company agreed to insure...
The US Needs Wildland Firefighters More Than Ever
The US Needs Wildland Firefighters More Than Ever, but the Federal Government Is Losing Them - Black Butte, an inactive volcano in eastern Oregon, saw a group of United States Forest Service smokejumpers arrive by turboprop plane in May 2022. Among them was Ben...
BC issues first fire ban of the season as drought worry grows
BC issues the first fire ban of the season. The B.C. Wildfire Service has declared a prohibition on fires in the Cariboo region starting at noon on Thursday, March 28, citing "unusually dry conditions from fall through winter leading to heightened drought levels."...
Smokehouse Creek Fire, second-largest in U.S. history, merges with another to stretch across huge swath of Texas Panhandle
Smokehouse Creek Fire, now the second-largest in U.S. history, combines forces with another blaze, expanding across the Texas Panhandle CBS NEWS
Recent Articles
Yellowknife to Fort McMurray: lessons from the frontlines of Canada’s worst wildfires.
Volunteer firefighters see doubling in tax credit.
Oro-Medonte fire chief smokes out several ways to boost revenue.
Ahead of likely ‘ferocious’ wildfire season, fire chiefs lament drop in volunteers.
Vancouver firefighters get $2.8M from city to procure gear free of cancer-causing chemicals.
