EDMONTON -- Higher fines and additional personnel are some of the things Alberta is adding to ensure it is prepared for wildfire season amid the COVID-19 outbreak.
Two hundred wildfire fighters are being added since the pandemic will affect the usual sharing of resources with other provinces and countries.
"So that’s why we’re making sure that we’re beefing up our own firefighting support right now in Alberta with Albertans," said Minister of Agriculture and Forestry Devin Dreeshen.
On April 15, a fire ban will come into effect in provincial parks and protected areas
and recreational use of off-highway vehicles will be banned on Crown land. FireSmart initiatives are also being boosted by $20 million.
"Alberta will be prepared to deal with the possibility of battling multiple disasters all at once," said Dreeshen.
At the time of the announcement there were six fires in Alberta with four of those carried over from 2019. All are under control.
The head of Alberta Firefighters Association says the added measures are a good step. He is also pressing for clarity on workers compensation to cover firefighters who lose work, or possibly even their lives, due to catching the virus on the job.
"We haven’t had any fatalities in Alberta from COVID from firefighters, we do have 158 members in isolation from community exposure and on the job exposures," said president Brad Readman.
"We want to firm it up before it becomes an issue," he explained. "We’re seeing it in the United States, up to five or six line of duty deaths related to COVID. It’s only a matter of time."
