Eighty-five per cent of firefighters are volunteers, and their numbers have dwindled to alarming levels. In the season premiere episode, “Under Fire,” W5 Host and Managing Editor Avery Haines investigates a series of deadly fires that volunteer fire crews couldn’t get to in time. W5 speaks to survivors, who believe the staff shortage was a factor in their loved ones’ deaths. W5 also discovers that experts have warned politicians about the problem for years.