As Canada's wildfires intensify, recruiting firefighters is tougher

Canada is wrestling with its worst-ever start to wildfire season, but recruiting firefighters is becoming increasingly difficult due to tight labour markets and the tough nature of the job, provincial officials say.

Canada is wrestling with its worst-ever start to wildfire season, but recruiting firefighters is becoming increasingly difficult due to tight labour markets and the tough nature of the job, provincial officials say.

Limited resources could threaten Canada's ability to douse fires, which are expected to get bigger and fiercer in future as a result of fossil fuel-driven climate change, risking more damage to communities and disrupting the country's oil and gas, mining and lumber industries.

A Reuters survey of all 13 provinces and territories showed Canada employs around 5,500 wildland firefighters, not including the remote Yukon territory, which did not respond to requests for information.

That's roughly 2,500 firefighters short of what is needed, said Mike Flannigan, a professor at Thompson Rivers University in British Columbia and wildfire specialist.

"It's hard work, it's hot work, it's smoky work, and there are real issues with health impacts longer-term," Flannigan said. "It's getting harder to recruit and retain people."

This year Ontario extended its application period, boosted marketing efforts and started covering training costs to secure more recruits. Applications were down in British Columbia and Nova Scotia, and Alberta had to do several rounds of recruitment to fill its ranks, officials said.

Canada's provinces and territories share crews and equipment as required and call on international partners and the military in times of extreme need. But this year record-breaking blazes flared up simultaneously in the east and west, sparking competition for firefighters and aircraft.