Summer 2023 in Canada has been marked by out-of-control fires from coast to coast to coast, making it the worst wildfire season on record. One line of defence against these worsening climate events is a network of volunteers that is shrinking each year, say fire chiefs.
According to a 2022 report from the Canadian Association of Fire Chiefs (CAFC), an estimated 90,000 out of 126,000 firefighters across the country are volunteers, making up over 70 per cent. Back in 2016, a similar census counted 156,000 volunteers.
This year, over 13.6 million hectares have burned in Canada as of Aug. 16, blowing far past the 10-year average
