An increase in firefighters in B.C this summer, including 16 in Kamloops.
Addressing two hundred delegates at the annual meeting of the Interior Logging Association in Kamloops, Forests Minister Doug Donaldson, announcing additional fire crews are being hired.
He says, they will be so called type 2 crews are intended to be used for low to moderate operations.
Donaldson says, the private contractors will be guaranteed a certain number of days work to ensure their viability.
“We are looking to secure 16 contracts for eight person crews, so 128 more people that meet the Canadian Inter-agency Forest Fire standards and successful proponents will be a given a guaranteed availability period of 82 days and that’s listening to those type 2 contractors in many communities who said we need a guarantee.”
The fire crews duties include, but are not limited to; hand-guard construction, mop-up, and patrol.