Sask. firefighters say risks of burning derelict buildings for training outweigh benefits

Alexander Quon · CBC News

· Posted: May 14, 2025 7:00 AM EDT | Last Updated: 1 infinitesimal ago

Firefighters successful Saskatchewan accidental caller authorities government allowing for the burning of derelict buildings successful agrarian areas presents an unnecessary risk.

The Sask. Party authorities says Bill 21 — which passed 3rd speechmaking connected Tuesday — volition make a aviator programme allowing rural municipalities (RMs) to safely dispose of buildings that are nary longer wanted, portion providing grooming opportunities for unpaid firefighters.

Tyler Packham, president of Regina Professional Fire Fighters Local 181, said helium was "astonished" that the authorities passed the legislation.

Live-fire grooming is often discouraged because it tin airs important wellness and information risks to firefighters, and dangers to the environment, Packham said.

Buildings, particularly older buildings, tin incorporate asbestos, lead-based paint or different toxic materials, Packham said.

"Going into a burning location that you don't cognize what's successful it, conscionable to get a small spot of training, it is not a bully value," Packham said.

Mike Kwasnica, president of the Saskatchewan Association of Fire Chiefs, and Louis Cherpin, president of the Saskatchewan Volunteer Fire Fighters Association, echoed Packham's concerns successful statements.

Cherpin said the authorities should see alternative, safer methods to woody with gathering removal, alternatively of exposing firefighters to unnecessary risks.

"Government has been advocating to support our firefighters harmless from unnecessary vulnerability to crab causing toxins, and this projected authorities flies successful the look of that," Cherpin wrote.

Kwasnica said trainees enactment successful unrecorded burns arsenic portion of their education, but only under strict conditions.

The operation indispensable beryllium sound, with nary unsafe materials inside, and crews indispensable deterioration protective equipment, helium said.

"Firefighters are trained to power and suppress occurrence — not to facilitate it arsenic a demolition method," Kwasnica said successful a statement.

'A voluntary program': minister

Environment Minister Travis Keisig said the amendments to the province's Construction Codes Act came after discussions with the Saskatchewan Urban Municipalities Association (SUMA) and the Saskatchewan Association of Rural Municipalities (SARM).

SARM has called for backing to assistance cleanable up the expanding fig of derelict and abandoned buildings successful the province.

"Many [RMs] struggle with constricted funds, ineligible powers, and method know-how to efficaciously negociate derelict buildings successful a timely manner. Support from the provincial authorities could easiness this challenge," SARM wrote successful a quality release on Feb. 19.

SARM highlighted grants arsenic a method for the state code the problem. Instead, the province introduced Bill 21 successful April.

SARM has said it supports the changes.

On Tuesday, Keisig defended the authorities successful the look of disapproval by the Opposition NDP and firefighters.

"This is simply a voluntary program. There's going to beryllium immoderate communities and immoderate unpaid occurrence chiefs that truly privation to person this accidental to supply this grooming scenario, and there's going to beryllium immoderate that person nary involvement and that's fine," Keisig said.

"This isn't authorities telling radical that you person to do this."

Keiseg repeatedly said the details of the aviator program, specified arsenic what types of buildings tin beryllium burned and the protocols that volition person to beryllium followed, are inactive being worked out.

It volition lone use to agrarian areas, arsenic unpaid firefighters request grooming opportunities, helium said. Professional firefighters successful municipality areas person their ain backing exemplary that allows for much accordant training, Keiseg said.

The situation curate said he'll talk with firefighters and municipalities implicit the adjacent fewer months with the extremity of having the task rolled retired by November.

That's not bully capable for Packham.

"I only spot this arsenic a mode for immoderate radical to prevention a small spot of wealth of getting escaped of a gathering with zero consultation with firefighters," the national president said.