Report on NWT Shortage of Firefighters, Equipment, and Information Amidst 2023 Wildfires
A recent report reveals that during last year’s devastating wildfire season, the Northwest Territories faced shortages in firefighters, equipment, information, and communication.
This third-party investigation is being made public by the territorial government today.
According to the report, the number of firefighters in the region has been decreasing annually since 1991.
Some of the existing firefighters were inadequately trained, as training programs began after the fires had already started.
The review identified a scarcity of firefighting aircraft and highlighted poor utilization of the available ones.
It also pointed out that fire officials lacked sufficient forest information and that the computer models used for predicting fire behavior were inadequate.
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In 2023, the N.W.T. witnessed 34,000 square kilometers of forest destroyed due to two years of drought and high temperatures.
Nineteen communities, including Yellowknife, the territorial capital, were evacuated.
The government has already taken steps to increase its firefighting personnel, set up new weather stations, and enhance its wildfire modeling technology.
