I realize this is a very vague and very odd question, but it's about all I have to go on. I was chatting with a guy at work one day a few years ago and he claimed he was picked up by the RCMP in the 1960s, along with a bunch of Cree men, for being indigent and dropped off in rural B.C to fight fires with minimal equipment. Google gives me nothing, but my mother, who is from that area, insists it did happen and was common. However, she's not really a great person to ask about history.
So does this odd tale have any basis in reality?
Section 16 of the BC Wildfire Act allows an authorized official to require a physically-capable adult to assist with fire control if they have some skill that can conceivably be of use in the effort. Source
However, growing up in the interior of BC, I've only heard of it being used in dire emergencies - the specific anecdote I remember, also from the sixties, involves the RCMP rounding up all the men from a provincial park campground to clear firebreaks when there weren't enough professional firefighters close enough to help.
I'm super busy with work ATM and will be for the next few weeks. But I think if I get time later this month I'd like to research this more and answer it if nobody else can. Sounds fascinating I just can't give you an answer.
Just wondering was the guy you talked with also Cree? Where about in B.C?
I'm going to save this and hopefully I can 1) ask someone with more knowledge on the subject 2) do independent research on the topic.