The Ontario government is putting up $20.5-million over the next three year for improved forest fire fighting.
At the MNRF base at the Timmins Airport, natural resources minister Graydon Smith said it will hire and train critical staff; enhance aerial technologies; and improve the understanding of the science behind the fires.
“Continuing to invest in Ontario’s wildland fire program will allow us to be even better prepared to withstand wildland fire emergencies in the future, and will help us continue to be able to keep people and property safe,” he remarked.
“And through the funding,” Smith continued, ”we’re investing in aerial fire suppression technologies including drones to help us protect fires earlier and see where where our efforts can be most effective.”
Smith calls this fire season significant. Over 700 blazes swept through more than 425,000 hectares. That’s triple the ten-year average.
