'An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure': Experts say a national fire service could help battle wildfires
CTV
During a record-setting wildfire season, experts say prevention of more disasters is important, citing a Canada-wide fire service could help mitigate blazes.
In an unprecedented start to wildfire season, crews in Canada were quickly overwhelmed and needed help from firefighters from other countries.
Experts say if Canada had its own national fire service, it could help prevent and put out fires across the country without relying on international aid and often overwhelmed provincial fire forces.
"A national air fleet, so we can move resources ahead of time when we see those extreme fire episodes coming and to be better positioned to deal with the fire load," Mike Flannigan, professor at the University of Alberta said in an interview with CTV National News.
Flannigan says when wildfires are sparked and concentrated in one province it can "quickly" overwhelm its provincial fire crews.
As of Tuesday evening, fires are burning across the country with more than 150 burning in Quebec alone. The smoke from the fires is causing poor air quality across the country and in the U.S. as it wafts south.
Bill Blair, Canada's emergency preparedness minister, said on Tuesday the current forecast for the next few months indicates the potential for higher-than-normal fire activity. According to Blair, without changes in the weather, this fire season could be the worst Canada's ever seen.
One way to mitigate the impacts of wildfires on Canadians is by gaining control of the blaze and extinguishing it as soon as possible, but Flannigan says the efforts are not preventative.
