A union representing wildland firefighters in Alberta is sounding the alarm about the provincial government’s preparedness for another wildfire season that could be of the same level as last year.
“The 2023 wildfire season was the most destructive on record and still haunts many Albertans’ memories. With another drought and warmer temperatures on the way, the signs are pointing to this year being just as bad – or worse,” reads an open letter and a petition from the Alberta Union of Public Employees (AUPE).
“Alberta must be ready to respond to the same level of disaster, but the provincial government is disastrously unprepared. It doesn’t have a plan to cope with another bad fire season, it hasn’t put enough money in the budget to deal with what’s coming, and it doesn’t have the workers in place that it will need.”
