Parmar touts $14 million firefighting investment, strong recruitment ahead of B.C. wildfire season – Castanet.net
Mar 17, 2026
B.C.’s minister of forests is touting some $14 million in investments into firefighting equipment and a record number of applicants to the BC Wildfire Service, as the province braces for the coming wildfire season.
Speaking to reporters in Kamloops on Monday morning, Ravi Parmar said BCWS has seen 2,400 applicants ahead of the upcoming wildfire season, breaking the record for the third year in a row. The ministry attributed that to an extended hiring period, expanded First Nations bootcamps and improved recruitment pathways.
BCWS has 600 year-round positions, and those applicants will fill about 200 to 250 vacancies.
