“It’s a lot colder than I thought,” he said last week. “I didn’t bring warm clothes.”

Mr Johnson, 22, was one of a number of forest firefighters who gathered at the Bathurst Sportsground for a fitness test ahead of the coming fire season.

The Foresty Corporation of NSW employs the firefighters, some of whom will work as tower operators, for six months leading up to and over the summer.

Among the new faces in this year’s group of 25 was Mr Johnson, who hails from Halifax on Canada’s east coast, and has had two summers fighting fires in his home country.

“I worked with a guy who fought fires in Australia and he recommended it,” Mr Johnson said. “I’m really excited to get the job.”

He has just finished university and has a year before he goes back to trade school.

“I’ll stay here for the contract and I’m not sure what I’m going to do after that,” he said.

“I might go back or I might travel a little bit.”

Mr Johnson, like the other employed firefighters, will be based within the Bathurst management area.

He said the big difference between Canadian and Australian firefighting was the Canadians’ use of helicopters. 

“They fight fires a little differently here, using trucks and roads,” he said. 

The Forestry Corporation’s Dave Anderson said the firefighters will also perform road maintenance and keep fire trails open.