It is an element of the Ministry of Forests, Lands, Natural Resource Operations and Rural Development.

[2][3] For suppression purposes, the BCWS divides the province of British Columbia into six regional fire centres, each of which is responsible for managing wildfire response within its boundaries.

All Type 2 firefighters in British Columbia are private contractors retained by the provincial government.

[5] The agency pioneered the use of Automated Flight Following for fire helicopters in the 1980s.

[6] BC contracts out aerial firefighting to Conair Group of Abbotsford, British Columbia and Air Spray of Red Deer, Alberta, rather than maintaining its own flight staff and equipment.