Fire! — Prevention is everyone’s business

Image from Ministry of Forests and Range

Although with all the rain we have been experiencing across British Columbia this month it is difficult to imagine, the annual summer fire season is actually upon us. We are fortunate in this part of the province to have a very organized, dedicated and experienced team of men and women who are ready for any and every type of wildfire that may occur. We don’t usually know a lot about what they do so selflessly, nor do we appreciate them nearly enough.

The Shuswap and North Okanagan area is part of the Kamloops Fire Centre which is headquartered near the airport in Kamloops and is the administrative, dispatch and operational centre for wildland firefighting in south central BC. One of six regional fire centres operated by the British Columbia Forest Service, Kamloops Fire Centre covers an area extending from Blue River in the north to the U.S. border in the south, and from the Bridge River in the west to the Monashee Mountains in the east. Seven geographical fire zones are covered by the Kamloops centre –- Kamloops, Clearwater, Lillooet, Salmon Arm, Merritt, Vernon and Penticton.

Thirty-four permanent staff and a large number of seasonal support staff, including dispatchers and 186 highly-trained firefighters, are employed by the Kamloops Fire Centre. Sixty-six of the seasonal firefighters are members of 3-person initial attack crews, the first responders to a fire, who are usually responsible for containing fires at the smallest size possible. The remaining 120 firefighters are in 6 20-person unit crews who have special skills in fighting larger blazes. Also available are 36 ‘rapattack’ firefighters who are based in Salmon Arm and rappel from a helicopter to access a fire. They specialize in building helipads for initial unit crew access in remote or difficult-to-access areas. These men and women are independent agents and form a critical part of the Wildfire Management Branch.

In cases where fires become out of the control of the initial attack crews, or when they burn for extended periods, a mobile fire camp equipped for hundreds of people will be brought in.

The terrain within the Kamloops Fire Centre is extremely diverse, ranging from glaciers in the north to semi-arid desert in the Southern Okanagan, from steep dry canyons in the Lytton and Lillooet area to the Interior rain forest of Salmon Arm. The fuel types include Ponderosa Pine-Douglas Fir, Jack or Lodgepole Pine, Spruce-Balsam, and open range and sagebrush.

Of the approximate 2,000 wildfires in BC in the average year, statistics show that approximately half of them are caused by human activity and half by lightning. Through early detection and reporting, plus aggressive attack, most of them damage less than 4 hectares before being extinguished.

Since fire is an important factor in many ecosystems, some are fought in a limited manner, such as in areas where fire is a natural part of the ecosystem or where there is little or no timber. This way fire fighting resources may be used more effectively elsewhere.

The British Columbia Forest Service is calling on residents and visitors alike to take every precaution to prevent fires. When camping in wooded areas, select your campsite carefully. Prepare your campfire area by removing all leaves, twigs and other flammable material from the area. If there is no fire pit, make a ring of rocks at least 3 metres from any trees. Don’t leave it unattended and take care to douse your campfire before leaving.

Many forest fires are caused by a carelessly discarded cigarette butt. Make sure that cigarettes are completely extinguished before throwing them away.

Grass fires are also a major concern for firefighters, especially when they spread to forested areas. Place a fire break around the perimeter of the fire area and don’t burn anything if there is a wind.

Just a little bit of precaution can make a huge difference in the statistics this season. If you do spot a fire, immediately contact the fire service and leave the area. Fires spread quickly.

The 24-hour fire reporting line is 1-800-663-5555 or *5555 on most cellular networks. Leave a message, reporting the location of the fire.

The burn reference number is 1-888-797-1717.

More information may be found at http://www.bcwildfire.ca