Province’s capacity to fight forest fires discussed in House
MLA Chris D’Entremont questions minister, relays concerns raised by Yarmouth County firefighters
Nova Scotia’s minister of lands and forestry says his department moves its firefighting resources around to where they are needed and there have been no staff reductions in recent years.
He made the remarks in the legislature after getting a question from Argyle-Barrington MLA Chris d’Entremont, who said firefighters in his district have expressed concern over the province’s capacity to fight forest fires.
D’Entremont said he had received a letter on the matter from the Yarmouth County Mutual Aid Association.
“When the volunteers are called out to fight forest fires, resources end up being spread thin and that creates vulnerabilities in fire coverage across the county.” — Chris d’Entremont
“The mutual aid association has become concerned with the forest fire capacity, and the firefighting capacity in Yarmouth County and surrounding areas,” d’Entremont said. “According to the letter, more and more volunteer firefighters are being called out to fight forest fires. This traditionally has been a responsibility of the province.”
He asked the minister if he could provide some detail on the current forest-firefighting capacity in Yarmouth.
“There have been no reductions in staff over the last number of years,” the minister said. “We always move our resources around, given where the activity and the forest fires are occurring. There are also no-burn zones that we put up and I know the member’s area applies to that. We also base our helicopters in strategic areas, so we continue to provide that service in that area.”
D’Entremont said he can understand why there may have been more forest fire activity this summer, given how dry it was, but he said “for a few years now,” according to the mutual aid group, Yarmouth County firefighters have been responding to more forest fires.
“Volunteer firefighters are primarily focused on residential fire protection and the occasional small brush or grass fire,” d’Entremont said. “When the volunteers are called out to fight forest fires, resources end up being spread thin and that creates vulnerabilities in fire coverage across the county.”
He sought a commitment from the minister to “properly” resource his department’s firefighting capacity in the Yarmouth area so volunteer firefighters can focus on their primary responsibility.
Said the minister in response, “I want to thank all the firefighters across the province who deliver an outstanding service. I’m very impressed with all the work they have been doing and I want to actually remind the members that when we do need more resources, our sister provinces are there to help out as we help and reciprocate that service to them.”