Exhaustion, overtime and 45 C heat: Quebec firefighters battling flames hope for better wages

Nearly two weeks ago, Nicolas Boulay was on his 24th day of consecutive work helping control some of the worst fires he's experienced in his 13 years as a firefighter on Quebec's North Shore.

He joined Quebec's forest fire prevention agency — the Société de protection des forêts contre le feu (SOPFEU) — when he was just 18. Since then, his work has become increasingly intensive, especially this year.

Although intense fire seasons typically happen every couple of centuries, over 1.5 million hectares of Quebec forest have been razed so far this year by a total of 509 wildfires — nearly 200 more than usual, compared to the province's 10-year average.

Boulay says conditions have improved in the province for now, but for weeks on end he has been putting in 85- to 90-hour weeks and walking kilometres in temperatures that have reached 45 C.

"This job is dangerous, it's difficult and we have lots of responsibility," said Boulay, who is also the president of the SOPFEU union on the North Shore.

"The big problem right now is that our salaries don't reflect that."

While Boulay says the people on his team have a passion for their work and are willing to do the overtime, they want better working conditions in a new collective agreement — including a salary that reflects their workload. The old agreement expired in the fall of 2022.

"Even though we're passionate, it can only get us so far at some point, like with inflation and all," said Boulay.

"When we compare ourselves to other places, we're just not there and we know that our job is very stressful, very hard and we're more at risk," he said. "We'd like some kind of trade-off, at the very least, for now."

Salary, retention, psychological support key issues for union

It's been challenging trying to negotiate a new contract — and fight historic forest fires, said Daniel Cloutier, Quebec's director for Unifor.

"With that intensity, everything has been stopped and postponed to the fall," said Cloutier.

SOPFEU head of communications Stéphane Caron did not accept CBC's request for an interview but said the union's demands are legitimate, confirming negotiations are on hold right now because of the forest fire season.

Cloutier hopes upcoming negotiations will result in improved working conditions and mental health support for the 200 firefighters working for SOPFEU.

"Psychological help and training is the key because they're facing situations that can traumatize them," said Cloutier.

"We have seen a firefighter in British Columbia losing [their] life also last week. So, they're facing very dangerous situations and trying to get more people [to] risk their life at $22 an hour, there's not so many people having that kind of appetite."

Right now the hourly rate for firefighters is capped around $29, an issue for seasonal workers, says Cloutier.

"They work only several weeks a year … So we need to address that," said Clouter. "We need also to recognize the wages because we struggle to find new firefighters and we struggle to keep the ones we got."

Firefighters question 'why am I staying?'

Boulay says he sees how his "passionate" team members have been worn down from the heat, smoke and long days — which can start as early as 3 a.m.

"It has some effects. Sometimes you're just more impatient, sometimes maybe you're not as aware but I think there are solutions out there," said Boulay.

"Maybe [there] could be more rest days that are paid from the employer."

Despite their devotion to their jobs, his team takes on unique risks that could have an impact on their health later in life and some choose to leave when the money and working conditions don't line up.

"It's very problematic and I think we'd gain as the union and they'd gain as SOPFEU a lot to just keep their people and have more guys with experience that could teach the others," said Boulay.

"People that have been working here for a very long time are just starting to ask themselves questions like 'Why am I staying?'" said Boulay.

"It's passion of course, but then you look around and you're like: 'I've got bills to pay and such, and is it enough?'"

One of the things that helps them keep going in the meantime is each other, said Boulay.

"[We] kind of turn out to be a family since we're almost always together in the forestry camp," said Boulay.

"We love that job, but it's just we have to get a bit more right now," said Boulay. "Our expectations are very, very high for this negotiation."