As Alberta prepares for another threatening wildfire season, new firefighter recruits are in the field extinguishing staged fires as they prepare for real-life scenarios on the job. More than 40 new firefighters finishing up their week-long training to become a wildland firefighter were flying into a staged fire situation outside of Hinton where they put their skills and knowledge to the test. …“It’s critical to make sure these new staff can work safely in a fire environment. We don’t know how fast and furious fires are going to show up this spring, but these folks need to be prepared to work safely and effectively on  their first wildfire,” explained Nicole Galambos, the director of the Hinton Training Centre. …Despite the recent snow and rain, Alberta Wildfire is gearing up for another challenging season due to drought-like conditions across most of the province. …Alberta wildfire will have more than 500 new firefighters trained by mid-May.