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May 9, 2018, Kannata Valley, Sask. – A grass fire that stretched for eight kilometres swept the Kannata Valley Monday night, destroying cottages in its way. CBC News reports. | READ MORE

May 9, 2018, Smiths Falls, Ont. – Careless smoking is to blame for a fire Monday at a home in Smiths Falls that claimed the life of a man in his 50s. The Ottawa Citizen reports. | READ MORE

May 9, 2018, London, Ont. – Two London homes were badly damaged by fire Tuesday afternoon, as the blaze spread from the rear porch of one, to engulf its neighbour, said witnesses to the blaze. The London Free Press reports. | READ MORE

May 8, 2018 – The National Fire Protection Association released profiles on Canadian fire departments. The report includes statistics from 2014 to 2016 on the departments and firefighters as well as information on the numbers of fire stations, pumps, ladders and more that each department has access to.

Here are some of the statistics and research the NFPA shared:

• There were 152,650 local firefighters in Canada.
• Seventeen per cent (26,000) were career firefighters and 83 per cent (126,650) were volunteer.
• Compared to the U.S., Canada had 17 per cent career firefighters while the U.S. had 30 per cent. Canada had 83 per cent volunteer firefighters and the U.S. had 70 per cent volunteer firefighters.
• Firefighters in smaller communities are more likely to be volunteers.
• 3,672 fire departments were active. Sixty-six were all career, 44 were mostly career, 501 were mostly volunteer, 3,061 were all volunteer.
• Canadian fire departments generally protect larger land areas with less stations and equipment then those in the U.S.
• Fifty-one per cent of Canadian fire departments provided basic life support, five per cent provided advanced life support and 44 per cent provided no emergency medical service.

Visit www.nfpa.org/research to see the full report.

May 8, 2018, Markham, Ont. – Fire investigators are trying to determine the cause of a house fire in Markham where one person was found dead Monday morning. CBC News reports. | READ MORE

May 8, 2018, Fort Saskatchewan, Alta. – Two houses were significantly damaged by fire Monday afternoon in Fort Saskatchewan. Global News reports. | READ MORE

May 8, 2018, Halifax – At least 25 people have been displaced following a large fire at a 15-unit building in Halifax’s south end on Tuesday morning. Global News reports. | READ MORE

May 8, 2018, Millet, Alta. – Crews from the volunteer fire department in Millet were back on the scene Monday of a major grass fire, putting out hot spots. CBC News reports. | READ MORE

May 7, 2018, Schreiber, Ont. — Fire Chief Pat Bourguignon was struck and killed in a pedestrian motor vehicle accident that happened around midnight Friday.

The Union of British Columbia Municipalities is helping communities across the province prepare for emergencies.

The organization has served and represented the interests of local governments in B.C. since 1905 and has recently earmarked $ 33.5 million dollars for emergency preparedness funding to be handed out in five funding initiatives.

Cash for the first three have now been released, covering everything from flood mapping and flood mitigation planning to improvements in emergency social services and additional equipment and supplies for emergency operations centres.

Public Safety Minister Mike Farnworth says the funds will help the most vulnerable communities as the province moves into what he says could be “another incredibly taxing spring flood season.”