National

Would-Be Firefighters Flood B.C. Wildfire Service With Applications

The Canadian Press, 27 Jan, 2016 01:23 PM

KAMLOOPS, B.C. — There is no shortage of candidates to fill the estimated 200 vacant positions expected this summer with the B.C. Wildfire Service.

Provincial information officer Kevin Skrepnek says just under 1,500 applications were received by the Jan. 24 deadline.

He says the number is above average, exceeding applications received in 2015.

But Skrepnek notes submissions usually climb in the year following a busy fire season.

More than 1,800 blazes were recorded during what the Wildfire Service calls a "major" season in 2015, with homes lost in Rock Creek and Puntzi Lake, while total fire fighting costs topped $282-million.

Successful 2016 Wildfire Service applicants must first survive a rigorous interview and screening process before being invited to boot camps slated for Merritt in April and May.

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