Changes to the laws that categorize forest firefighters to offer long-term coverage for health hazards related to the job have been a long-standing request.
More than a dozen wildfires have been reported in Ontario and the union representing forest firefighters says their crews are still short about 25 per cent of their staff.
As Ontario's forest fire season gets underway, Global News can reveal that one in five crews are unstaffed across the north. The program also faces issues with its aircraft.
Ontario firefighters are demanding better pay, conditions and safety after an intense wildfire season that saw air quality warnings issued across North America.