Jason Chaulk (L)

ST. JOHN’S — Jason Chaulk, the mayor of Musgrave Harbour, Newfoundland is among the volunteer firefighters missing work to battle a raging wildfire in a part of Canada where unpaid town councils and first responders are shouldering increasing numbers of emergencies. Chaulk, the volunteer mayor and deputy fire chief in Musgrave Harbour, said he stayed home to fight the out-of-control wildfire threatening his community. Crews from volunteer fire departments in about a dozen other neighbouring communities have also pitched in, working alongside provincial firefighters, he said. …Chaulk and his 30-member volunteer firefighting crew have been working since the blaze began, he said. They set up air mattresses in the firehall so they can take shifts sleeping. …Craig Pollett, former chief executive of Municipalities Newfoundland and Labrador, worries that too much is being asked of small volunteer councils and fire departments, especially as more storms and wildfires are expected as the climate changes.