‘There’s just too many fires’: Calls grow for national wildfire agency

Wildfires have scorched 7.3 million hectares of land in Canada this year, renewing calls that a national fire administration is needed more than ever.

The intense wildfire season in Canada is expected to be drawn out well into the winter, and already 7.3 million hectares of land from coast to coast have been scorched, renewing calls that a national fire administration is needed more than ever.

Ken McMullen, president of the Canadian Association of Fire Chiefs, says wildfire seasons continue to get worse, and the country needs to be better prepared.

“The benefit of a national administration is really around coordination and the reallocation of resources all across Canada in times when they need it the most,” McMullen told CTV News.

“That’s really a position within the federal government that allows fire chiefs to have the right place, at the right time, to have conversations on fire-related policy at the federal level.”

The call comes as the premier of Newfoundland and Labrador, John Hogan, announced in a press conference Sunday that one of the significant wildfires in that province has grown overnight due to hot temperatures and high winds.

“I think it’s safe to say that it’s over 5,000 hectares now. And just to put it in perspective, it was 3,000 hectares yesterday morning,” said Hogan.

“Fire projections show that the growth may reach Ochre Pit Cove this evening.”

Hogan added that there have been confirmed reports of more structures impacted by the fires over the weekend, including in Adam’s Cove, Kingston, and Western Bay. But due to smoke and conditions, officials aren’t able to confirm which structures have been destroyed.

“To all the residents in their communities, please know our hearts are with each and every one of you,” said Hogan.

In Ontario, dozens of fire crews across the Kawartha Lakes region are working to contain an out-of-control wildfire in the Burnt River area.

City officials say 27 hectares of land are actively burning in a heavily wooded area where damage from the winter ice storm has created hazardous conditions.

“Yesterday it was very scary because you could literally look at the end of our driveway and see big plumes of dark smoke,” said resident Michelle Burgess.

No evacuations have been ordered as of yet, but conditions are being monitored.

And on the west coast, BC Wildfire Service (BCWS) says the Wesley Ridge wildfire on Vancouver Island had minimal growth overnight but is still burning out of control and is classified as the only wildfire of note in that province.

“Night-vision-equipped helicopters were active late into the evening, dropping water to cool the western edge of the fire high up on Wesley Ridge,” said Madison Dahl, BCWS information officer, Sunday morning.

“Overnight, a drone was used to scan for hotspots in the residential areas of the fire.”

Dahl said temperatures in the high 20s over the weekend mean more smoke in the area and that the hot and dry conditions are expected throughout the week.

“The public is likely going to see an increase in smoke,” She said. “So, as the fire gets a little bit more heat and that direct sunlight, we can expect to see a lot more smoke.”

‘There’s just too many fires’

According to the Canadian Interagency Forest Fire Centre (CIFFC), there are currently more than 700 active wildfires raging across the country.

Mike Flannigan, wildfire expert at Thompson Rivers University in Kamloops, says the Canadian wildfire season is the second-worst on record after the 2023 wildfire season.

Flannigan has been calling for a national wildfire agency for years to work alongside local agencies to manage the surge in wildfires in the country. He says it differs from what the Canadian Association of Fire Chiefs is calling for in that a national agency would have resources deployed across the country where they are needed in a timely manner.

“There’s just too many fires. There’s not enough resources. We call on help from around the world and some of the Canadian Armed Forces, but we should be able to handle this on our own,” he said.

Flannigan says fire management is the responsibility of provinces and territories, and each jurisdiction can share resources, but sometimes those resources don’t get there in time.

“Let’s say Alberta is on fire and Quebec sends firefighters or helicopters,” he said. “It takes three days for that firefighter to get in that line.”

In Newfoundland, resources from New Brunswick, Quebec, and Ontario are helping to battle the infernos, but Premier Hogan said there are delays for some of the crucial assets they are waiting for.

“The two Quebec ones are here. Unfortunately, two of the other Quebec assets we were expecting over the weekend have had to cancel due to maintenance issues on those aircraft,” said Hogan.

“The two water bombers from Ontario, we’ve been advised, are delayed as they deal with wildfires in their own province.”

In a statement to CTV News, the Ministry of Emergency Management and Community Resilience said,

“While elements of the current wildfire management system work well—such as the Canadian Interagency Forest Fire Centre, which plays a critical role in coordinating resources and expertise between provinces and territories—we recognize the growing challenges posed by wildfires and the need to strengthen our response. Work is already underway to identify and advance options to improve Canada’s wildfire response capacity, including better coordination across jurisdictions and building long-term resilience.”

“That sounds great,” said Flannigan.

“But let’s do it. We’ve been talking about this for years. It’s time for some action and less talk.”

McMullen says he acknowledges the coordinated support from CIFFC but says more needs to be done.

“What they’re missing there is the remembrance that every fire starts locally when it comes to our municipal side. And that’s where we’re seeing the lack of coordination,” he said.

“Today, more than ever, we’re relying on municipal firefighters to support wildland firefighters.”