Fire Fighting Bill Hits $409M Million

Thursday, September 10, 2009 04:43 PM

Prince George, B.C.- Provincial Finance Minister Colin Hansen says the cost of fighting fires in the province this year has hit $409 million dollars.

That is a new record high, outstripping the amount spent on battling the fires of 2003 which saw numerous homes destroyed in the Kelowna and McLure/Barrier fires. That year, fire fighting costs hit $371 million dollars.

Experts predict we can expect more of the same in coming years as mountain pine beetle killed forests combined with dry conditions, make for a dangerous situation.

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Posted on Thursday, September 10, 2009 04:43 PM in News by 250 News

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Comments

Posted by: Andyfreeze on September 10 2009 5:44 PM

Can they pay that bill with Visa?
Because then they would have a month and half to pay it!

Posted by: lmorge on September 10 2009 6:08 PM

I don't think they are adding in the cost of replacing the homes destroyed from the 2003 fire.

Posted by: Palopu on September 10 2009 6:28 PM

All the people fighting the fires would be paying taxes and earning wages and somehow I doubt that the revenue made from this is applied to the cost of fighting.

Same thing applies to all the PST, Fuel Taxes, etc; that would be collected.

It sure is fun working with numbers.

Posted by: CaringSoul on September 11 2009 8:16 AM

What bothers me the most is the budget was set at just under 60 million dollars. Oh well just add it to the other short falls this government have created and our grandchildren can pay for it. Sigh! Hopefully once the Olympics is over next year the monies allocated for that can go back where they belong. :}~

Posted by: lmorge on September 11 2009 6:56 PM

Ah, caringsoul...there won't be any money left. There is already nothing left to allocate for extra policing costs and I have heard it from the big wigs.