With the threat of wildfires growing in the province, the B.C. government is expanding its search for more firefighters, especially those from rural and remote communities.

The government says in a statement that improvements to the B-C Wildfire Services hiring process have resulted in one thousand firefighter applicants, but finding candidates in rural communities will also help its response.

Some of the suggestions for new hiring practices came out of a premier’s expert task force on emergencies, and task force member Wayne Schnitzler says he’s pleased about the expanded First Nations boot camps which bring more Indigenous people into the firefighting effort.

The pilot for Indigenous firefighters in the Cariboo is now being expanded to the coastal fire centre this spring in an effort to build relationships between First Nations and the fire centres.

More to come