Wildfire funding not sufficient in Saskatchewan budget, says fire chief

A fire chief of a Saskatchewan village, representing a group of volunteers that battled some of Saskatchewan’s destructive blazes last summer, says the province’s latest budget is not providing enough funding for proactive measures ahead of this year’s wildfire season.

“They’ve introduced the marshal service, but where’s the funding to increase the fire side of things?” Jim Arnold, fire chief of Candle Lake, told Global News.

In the province’s budget announced Wednesday, the Saskatchewan Public Safety Agency (SPSA) will receive $138.5 million, up $19.6 million from the year before.

But for Arnold, who heads a group of around 21 volunteer firefighters, this amount is not enough.

“I would think it would be better if the SPSA were more proactive,” he said. “Doing things like fire breaks around communities, doing things like fuel management.”

In the budget, the province says last year’s wildfire season cost the government $392 million in extra expenses, accounting for the largest portion of the $970 million in over-budget spending.

Finance Minister Jim Reiter says last year’s wildfire season “was an anomaly,” adding that his government is optimistic it will not happen again.

“But if it does, we’ll respond accordingly,” Reiter said Friday at a luncheon with the Greater Saskatoon Chamber of Commerce.

“It’s not like if we need more money, we won’t spend it. We certainly did last year, and if it happens, we will again.”

When asked about proactive wildfire spending, Reiter pointed to an increase in the SPSA’s capital funding as part of a four-year commitment to purchase four repurposed water bombers, adding that one is expected to come onstream this year.

The SPSA unveiled its plans to purchase these airtankers back in April 2024.

The province is also doubling its volunteer first responders tax credit from $3,000 to $6,000.

While Arnold supports this, he says he wanted to see more support for volunteer fire departments dealing with rising equipment costs and the need to meet provincial regulations.

“The cost of a single fire engine is now a million dollars. You know, the cost to outfit one firefighter is pushing $5,000 now,” Arnold said.

The province is also putting $2 million towards replacing infrastructure in parks lost to wildfires.

While Arnold says he does not know how this year’s wildfire season will pan out, his volunteer department is preparing with additional funding from his village’s council.

“The bottom line is, we need help funding fire departments,” he said.

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