A wildfire that started in Banff National Park in Alberta, Canada was apparently sparked by an all-female firefighter training exercise. WTREX (Women-in-Fire Training Exchange) is an intensive 12-day training exchange that combines both outdoor and indoor live-fire training. The purpose of the conference is “to engage participants of all different genders, ethnic, and racial backgrounds to explore the growing role of women in fire management.” The very first WTREX conference in Canada started on May 1st of 2023.
By May 3rd, a wildfire started in the very place where training exercises were to take place for this group. Local news in Canada speaks about the wildfire and where it started. They spoke about the dry weather conditions and strong winds that accelerated the flames. However, they seemed to disregard the WTREX conference altogether by failing to mention it. Totally ignoring the obvious cause of the out-of-control wildfire is misleading reporting at best and totally dishonest at worst.
SOURCES:
Parks Canada says fire near Banff, Alta., now held after burning out of control | CBC News
Feminist Firefighters accidentally set Banff ablaze – The Counter Signal
Banff fires | Crews lose control of prescribed burn in Alberta: Parks Canada – YouTube
WTREX Canada (Banff National Park, May 1–12) | FRAMES
