Budget to fight B.C. wildfires increases, but will it be enough?

VANCOUVER (NEWS 1130) – The British Columbia government wants to reassure you it will spend whatever it needs to fight wildfires this summer, as the amount of money budgeted falls well short of what has been spent over the past few years.

The budget this year has been bumped up to $101 million, but since 2012, the province has spent more than that on wildfires each year.

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Forests Minister Doug Donaldson says this latest budget increase is still an improvement.

“It’s a 58 per cent increase in funding, which is phenomenal for forest fire management. This is the first major uplift in many years,” he says. “It never happened under the B.C. Liberals.”

He adds the province is also open to adjusting the budget in the years to come.

“We’ll keep an eye on it,” he says. “We’re just hoping that we’re not going to see the forest fire activity we’ve seen the last couple years, but we’ll be there for people to keep them safe.”

Donaldson says no matter the cost, the province will spend the money needed during wildfire season, even if it’s not in the budget.

Kamloops Mayor Ken Christian says he’s happy with the increase.

“It will help our regional and provincial resources that are located here,” he says. “As for fire costs, they are covered off each year on a rolling average so I am not worried. Kind of like snow removal – we just keep removing it until it is gone!”

Donaldson says there’s no need to be concerned about money if we get another bad wildfire season.

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“There will always be funding there to fight fires like the last couple of years that we’ve had,” he says. “As far as keeping people safe and protecting homes and structures.”

During the record breaking 2017 wildfire season, the province spent $649 million, which is more than six times the amount being set aside in this latest budget.