By Dave Branco

bc wildfire service

New $21M wildfire equipment depot opens in Prince George ahead of 2026 wildfire season

Mar 20, 2026 | 2:27 PM

PRINCE GEORGE – British Columbia’s wildfire service is getting a major boost ahead of the 2026 fire season. A new, larger equipment depot in Prince George is now operational, and officials say it could make a critical difference when the next big fire breaks out in the north. 

The BC Wildfire Service (BCWS) has received $21 million in capital funding for this new depot. The facility, located on the Old Cariboo Highway, near the Prince George Airport, gives crews in northern B.C. a much bigger home base to work from.

“The threat of wildfire continues to grow and evolve, but so too does the BC Wildfire Service,” said Ravi Parmar, Minister of Forests. “We’re making the investments needed to ensure BCWS is ready for whatever may come this wildfire season, through year-round positions, expanded technology and a new equipment depot in Prince George, all to keep people and communities safe throughout British Columbia.”

The depot is stocked with trucks, pumps, hoses, structure-protection units and camp infrastructure, all pre-positioned so crews can move gear faster when fires ignite. It’s not just equipment. This year, the wildfire service hit a record of roughly 24-hundred applications for seasonal firefighter positions. That’s the second straight year for record applications to the BCWS.

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“Our crews are world class, but they need the right equipment and tools to do their job effectively,” Minister of Forests Ravi Parmar said. “This depot in Prince George allows for more firefighting infrastructure and equipment to be stored in northern B.C. This means northern communities now have a larger depot at home, ready to move equipment through the area more efficiently.”

With record recruitment, new technology, and a fully stocked northern depot, BC Wildfire Service says the message heading into this season is simple: they’re prepared for the worst, and hoping for the best.