Smithers Junior firefighter heading to Camp Ignite

Published 12:00 am Wednesday, July 16, 2025

For the second summer in a row, the Smithers Fire Rescue is sending one of their own to a junior firefighting camp in the Lower Mainland.

Jane Curah is part of the recently resurrected junior rescue program at the Smithers fire department and has been accepted to Camp Ignite. The program is a summer camp for Grade 11 and 12 girls in British Columbia who are interested in exploring firefighting in a fun and encouraging environment.

The aim is to encourage female youth to consider a career in the fire service. Currently, women represent only four per cent of fire services internationally.  

Last year, another local girl, Micah Krymusa, went and had a great experience.

Campers will learn about the various tools and skills needed to be successful in the fire service including auto-extrication, hazmat operations, and technical rope rescue operations. There is also a big focus on team building — which Curah is most excited about.

"I like meeting other girl firefighters, that would be pretty cool, because me and Micah got super close. We didn't really know each other before this, and we got super close going through the same experiences."

Curah has been enjoying her time as a junior firefighter and learning the ropes of the career. She isn't sure yet what she wants to do after highschool but appreciates the skills she is learning so far. 

 "Maybe firefighting in Edmonton," she said. "But I also might want to be a paramedic, or something in healthcare. I think Camp Ignite will also broaden my horizons a little bit to what firefighting is like in other places, and not just Smithers."

The junior firefighting program has been in full swing for a full year now in Smithers and so far, so good, said Smithers Fire Chief Alle Jan de Vries.

"We had really good uptake last year," he said. "We actually only brought on two juniors this year, and one of them couldn't carry on just with other commitments at school.

"So, we are just in the process with a crew of six juniors right now, and it's been a really positive, having never done it before, it's been a really positive growth. I think for the fire department, it's cool to have young people that are excited about the fire service, and whether they end up staying in Smithers or moving on, I think it's just a really good mix of people to add into our mix of people."

He was happy to sponsor Curah for Camp Ignite because of her eagerness to attend and her commitment to service.

She will attend the camp later this summer.