On March 16, 2026, the British Columbia Ministry of Forests launched its plan to prepare for the upcoming wildfire season to ensure faster response times for residents across the province, including those in Colwood. The province is focusing on early preparation by hiring more staff and buying new equipment before the weather gets warmer later this spring.
The BC Wildfire Service received a record of about 2,400 applications for seasonal firefighting jobs this year. This high number follows new efforts to expand recruitment programs, such as First Nations bootcamps, and allow more time for people to apply for these positions.
The province invested $14 million into new firefighting tools, including more trucks, camp supplies, and 10 additional Type 2 structure-protection units specifically designed to protect houses and buildings from flames. According to Ravi Parmar, the Minister of Forests, these investments also include basic gear like saws and pumps to help crews work more effectively on the ground.
A new $21 million equipment warehouse in Prince George will be fully running for the 2026 season to help move supplies to wherever they are needed across the province. Crews will also continue using a fleet of four helicopters that can fly at night, which completed 260 missions last year to help with detection and water delivery after the sun went down.
The provincial government is moving toward a year-round staffing model to keep experienced workers ready for longer fire seasons. Local fire departments are also receiving specialized training to better protect neighbourhoods where houses are built close to forested areas, known as the wildland-urban interface.
