'Like wearing a snowsuit in summer': Volunteer firefighters face hurdles without wildfire gear

CBC

3 days ago

When the call came in about a wildfire emerging in Spaniard's Bay on Tuesday, there was an all-hands-on-deck approach to knocking it down.
Firefighters came from about half a dozen departments in the area — including some who've been fighting the largest wildfire in the province, just a few kilometres down the road on the north shore of Conception Bay.
Along with aerial support, it wasn't long before the flames were under control.
"We kicked that fire's ass," grinned Spaniard's Bay fire Chief Curt Roberts.
But the Spaniard's Bay department also learned a valuable lesson: When it comes to fighting a wildfire, their own gear sometimes fights against them.
"It's fine for structure fires. It's not meant for wildfires," Roberts told CBC News on Thursday.
They were geared up in bunker suits — traditional firefighting outfits weighing about 40 pounds apiece, not including breathing apparatuses.
The gear is not designed for wildfires, but for the calls that volunteer fire departments usually take. It can keep flames and smoke out during a house fire, but isn't breathable or nimble when trekking through the woods in summer heat.
"This stuff is just way too heavy. Everybody is getting overcome with heat," Roberts said.
'Our equipment is rendered useless'
On the other side of the island on Tuesday, Deer Lake Fire Rescue was knocking down a brush fire at the same time Spaniard's Bay was dealing with their own.
The department was called to a fire near a cemetery, which was close to a forested area, residential neighbourhoods and the Trans-Canada Highway.
Chief Stephen Rowsell said they ran into the same issues as Spaniard's Bay — they struggled to get their truck in to the fire, and were slowed down by heavy gear in the hot sun.
The conclusion? Their volunteer department would not have been well equipped if the fire had started to get away from them.
"It's like wearing a snowsuit in the summer," Rowsell said. "Heat stress is a major factor for firefighters, and we want to make sure everybody is trying to stay hydrated and cool and still be able to perform at full capacity."
The province has averaged fewer than 100 wildfires per season in the previous five years, but this year the number jumped to 216 so far.
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Rowsell's department took to Facebook after the fire call on Tuesday, issuing a plea to the public to be fire safe, while lamenting the limitations they face.
"The worst part about these types of fires is that our daily firefighting equipment — the pumpers and ladder trucks you see on the road — are our only option," they wrote.
"If a fire gets away from us in the woods, our equipment is rendered useless. Our only option then is to go in on foot with basic hand tools like shovels, fire extinguishers, and chainsaws. Trying to fight a fire with an extreme fire load with these limited resources puts our community and our firefighters in a highly vulnerable position."
Hogan indicates help is coming
With an increasing demand for volunteer departments to fight wildfires, Roberts and Rowsell both said they hoped to see the province provide funding for wildland gear to better handle the situations they're facing.
At a news briefing on Thursday morning, Premier John Hogan indicated they would take the request seriously.
"They didn't sign up to fight wildfires, but they're doing it anyways," Hogan said. "We will continually have to reassess and continually assess going forward what risk the province is at for future wildfires and what equipment is needed. And if more equipment is needed, if more gear is needed, then yeah, we will fund that."
When asked a similar question last week, Hogan said it wouldn't be something his government could tackle in the immediate term.
For now, Roberts is considering buying a full set of fire retardant coveralls for his 30-plus firefighters. The cost is $6,000, or about half the department's annual budget for gear.
In Deer Lake, Rowsell has faith the province will step in to help.
"I'm sure after this year the government will definitely be looking into the situation to help us better equip ourselves," he said. "I don't think it's something that will be just left on municipalities and fire departments alone. I'm sure the government is going to be on our side and helping us in any way possible."