COLLINS – Get ready for a huge investment to fight wildfires

EVERY TIME I LOOK INTO THE SKY and see the aging fleet of air tankers taking off and landing at Fulton Field, I wonder how long we can keep those planes in the air. Probably not too long.

As climate change plays a larger role in the length and intensity of the wildfire season, these planes, and the many other resources used to fight the fires, are being taxed more and more.

And it will only get worse. Coupled with the fact that we don’t have any solid plans going forward, it becomes clear that the costs will balloon out of sight pretty quickly.

First of all, let’s talk about the aircraft. Most of our aircraft were built decades ago and are getting harder to maintain. A report from CBC this week indicated that the number of planes available across the country varies between 60 and 100, depending which expert you talk to.

In the past, provinces have shared the aircraft, depending on the area of greatest need. But when we get a situation like this year, when huge fires are burning across the country, provinces don’t have those resources to share.

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Doug Collins has had a wide background in the broadcast industry, having done virtually every type of news and sports broadcasting, including news anchor, sports play-by-play, and editorialist. His “One Man’s Opinion” aired on TV from 1973- 2013. He retired from his management roles in the station in October, 2018, but continues to write his column. In 2019, Doug was awarded the Freedom of the City.