Ontario Wildland Firefighters Face Challenging Conditions in Northwestern Region

Ontario's wildland firefighters are operating under extremely challenging conditions in northwestern Ontario, the union representing them said. More than 150 crews were on the ground in the region as of Friday morning, including personnel from Alberta and the Yukon.

As of Thursday evening, 129 fires were active in northwestern Ontario, according to the provincial Aviation, Forest Fire and Emergency Services agency. Of those fires, 62 were not under control, five were being held, four were under control, and 58 were being observed.

Eric Davidson, vice-president of OPSEU Local 728 in Red Lake, said crews are focused on protecting values rather than direct attack on the fires. Smoke has reduced visibility, limiting aircraft operations and making access to fire perimeters difficult, he said.

Firefighters generally work 19 days on and two days off, with up to 14 consecutive days on the fire line and shifts that can extend to 18 hours or longer during emergencies, Davidson said. Crews sleep in the bush during those periods and return home only briefly before redeploying when activity increases.

Davidson said Red Lake currently has eight crews instead of the planned 15, with similar shortfalls reported at other bases. Some positions were reclassified in the spring, moving crew members into higher ranks but leaving the base firefighter classification unchanged, he said.

"Everyone in the Bush is still classified as a resource technician in some capacity," Davidson said. "When the government comes out and says, 'oh, our firefighters or whatever on the front line,' we don't have any firefighters. Actual spending exceeded the base budget last year, reaching $271 million against a $135 million allocation, he said.