There are continued concerns over waterbomber staffing levels in the province.

NAPE President Jerry Earle has been raising the matter for some time and says things are coming down to the crunch now as temperatures soar.

One of the province’s fleet of five waterbombers has been grounded since 2018.

Earle told VOCM Open Line with Paddy Daly on Wednesday that just one waterbomber crew is currently available, but one of the pilots tasked to respond to a fire near Glenwood yesterday is scheduled for mandatory five days time off on Friday.

Luckily, another pilot is coming off five day mandatory time off at that time, with four aircraft that need to be staffed, and with the ground crew to support them. He claims the province wasn’t even attempting to staff the remaining four planes.

Earlier this week Earle expressed fear that the province would not be able to respond if the province saw more fires like the ones that burned through the interior of central Newfoundland last summer.