The PC Opposition is raising concerns with the province’s ability to fight large forest fires.

While still considered out of control, fires in central Newfoundland are down to a smolder in many places, but crews are watching hot spots that could flare up. A state of emergency has been lifted and some forestry access roads have reopened.

Tory critic Pleaman Forsey says now that the central fires seem to be well in hand, it’s important to look at the province’s capacity to fight such fires, and ways to increase it.

The MHA for Exploits points to the province’s fleet of waterbombers as an issue. He says government once had five at their disposal, but in 2018 that was reduced to four due to mechanical issues with one of the planes.

Forsey notes in 2020 the province said that plane was out of commission and would likely be sold.

However, he says there’s been silence on that issue ever since.

Forsey describes the fires in central as “eye-openers” for government.