As a young supervisor of a wildfire crew, I (James Whitehead) had no idea what to do. My crew had arrived at a high-profile fire in southern British Columbia in 2021 and were immediately accosted by locals, who told me in colourful language that they did not feel protected by firefighters and had no use for us.
This occurred before I had seen the fire, developed a strategy or briefed my crew. I quickly realized my role was not just firefighter but also to be a mediator, relationship-builder and community advocate.
This experience is not unique. In B.C., despite provincial investments and increased capacity, some wildfire seasons can push even the best crews and agencies to the limit.
