Mr. Fletcher succinctly shows that the fire season this year is “no biggie” in comparison to those of recent years past. Given that (according to Mr. Fletcher): “Spending has topped $200 million, as it did last year at this time before finishing just below $300 million. The 2003 total was above $400 million, and the 2009 season was slightly below that.”
Why oh why, does the province set the yearly budget for firefighting at a measly $64 million? It would seem that history should dictate the projected cost of fighting these fires, whether caused by lightning or man-made, and not some pie-in-the-sky number.
Richard Weatherill
Saanich