Fire Season

Of course, just because we experienced the highest temperature every recorded, on at least one day this week, this has absolutely nothing whatsoever to do with global warming.

Kelowna-area forest fire grows to 50 hectares as 3,000 homes evacuated

http://www.vancouversun.com/news/Kelowna+area+forest+fire+grows+hectares...

That's a lot of people being evacuated

http://www.cbc.ca/canada/story/2009/07/19/kelowna-fires.html

This website seems to be a good source of info.

http://www.thesunonline.ca/node/962325

Thanks Tommy_Paine,

It sounds like we need some different approaches to forest fires in BC at least. History just seems to be repeating itself here.

BC Forest Service has been asking for wildlands urban interface projects to be implimented for the last  8 or so years. Just as they asked for proscribed burns to protect urban interface areas. The province stated it was the responsibility of the municipal districts, not theirs, to come up with the funding, if they were concerned. Which is scarey given the pine beetle situation.

As such, this government will  mainly spend on reaction and not proactive endeavours, though if there are no wildfires in the area, the IA and Unit crews sometimes work to remove ladder fuels and standing dead in interface areas which is on Crown Land. This gpvernment does not seem to get the fact that proactive saves tax payer's money and protects communities. The costs of bird dogs, water bombers and helicopter bucketing are huge per hour, and that is not even considering the on the ground crews, both machine and human, and the emergency medical response units.

Cost sharing of wildfires used to occur in tenured timber lots, between the government and private enterprises holding the tenure, but I am not sure if this is still occuring after the changes made in 2004 and 2005.  But I believe they only have to pay now, if they were the ones who  directly or indirectly caused the wildfire, though I am not 100% sure of this and stand to be corrected if not the case. Private citizens who start wildfires can also be forced to pay for the costs to fight the fire.

BC forest fire fighters are pretty much the best in the world and they go all over NA to fight fires. All provincially employed crews are very well trained and have been for decades. IA and Unit crews can be money making concerns for the government coffers and their working on committed interface projects, would cut into that potential. EFF's could be used for interface projects if there was a desire for governments to actually be pro-active.

The Forest Service has sent out diagrams with commentary, to private residences on how to manage their forest and home property interface areas, in this area. However, unless you have the money to pay fallers 200-400 dollars an hour, or put out similar for machine that falls, or have the skill to do it yourself, you are out of luck. And if the property next to you  has trees to close for safety, but is not owned by you, you have no recourse either, if the owner denies you permission to cut to make your home safe.

"11,000 now evacuated."

That might include a cousin of mind who lives in the Shannon Lake area which is being influenced by the Rose Valley fire - it look like both of these fires are the result of human activity - not necesaarily intentional - so people please be

 careful in the woods and the area around you when you travel.

Latest twitter update:

More good news - the remainder of the evacuees are going home this evening.

--

Another fire has started in BC near Lillooet, Northeast of Whistler.

"

Perhaps some rule changes are in order
KELOWNA/CKNW(AM980)

7/23/2009

Since evacuation orders affecting more than 11-thousand residents of West Kelowna have been lifted, police have confirmed fewer than ten cases of homes being burglarized.

RCMP Corporal Dan Moskaluk says that's fewer than normal, "It would not be out of the ordinary to receive that many complaints in the normal situation during any given summer day."

He says police are also investigating the possibility criminals disguised as volunteers are telling people on evacuation alert to leave their homes, "It wouldn't be beyond somebody to do that. To try and trick somebody out of their residence a little sooner or earlier just to make it easier for them to victimize them."

Moskaluk says residents can call the local Emergency Operation Centre to confirm they're on any list for evacuation orders."

If this is the case it is even more sickening and disgusting.

At least if a fire is started by lightning it is a act of nature NOT man's carelessness.

2200 evacuated in fire north of Kelowna, rain is accompanying lightening.

ETD location wrong

Oh thank you, I was listening from afar, and was a bit distracted, thank you P101.

50 new fires from lightening so far today

'Meanwhile, Kelowna RCMP have arrested a man after witnesses allegedly saw him set a brush fire in a residential area across the lake from one of the three fires that was contained last week.

Assistant Fire Chief Thomas Doherty said the intentionally set blaze was reported Thursday night at about 7 p.m. PT.

He said crews, who'd already doused a nearby fire, managed to put out the blaze before it reached some trees."

IDIOT!!!

Maybe the water bomber hit a Ogopogo while scooping? ;)

Firefighters on the Peloponnesus are doubly challenged, having to use CO2 fire extinguishers or dirt to extinguish flames.

.....everyone knows you NEVER put water on a Greece fire.......

I know, that was completely tactless.

Weather must be askew all over.  I would be surprised if Ontario doesn't set some records for rain, cold and lack of sunshine this summer.

35 degrees in Vancouver is going to be unusually hot.
Shocking B.C. weather has just begun

Weekend storms and scorching temperatures sent two adults to hospital due to a lightning strike, washed out concerts and sporting events and started 100 forest fires across B.C.

More weather-related chaos is in store, with temperatures expected to soar to 35 degrees by mid-week in Metro Vancouver and even higher inland.

The storms and heat are a result of a twist in weather patterns, said meteorologist Mark Madryga, with strong systems pushing heat and storms in from the eastern interior instead of more moderate weather coming in from the west.

Usually, lightning storms that come from the east are too weak to make it past the Fraser Valley, said Madryga.

Environment Canada recorded more than 1,100 lightning strikes in the Lower Mainland, with a total of 12,000 throughout B.C. on Saturday night, said Madryga, adding such storms only happen once every three years.

One of the bolts hit four people camping at Golden Ears park on Saturday night.

The lightning bolt first struck a tree, then disabled two vehicles, and finally injured two children and two adults at Gold Creek Campground in the park, Ridge Meadows RCMP said in a press release.

A 36-year-old man and a 35-year-old woman who live in Burnaby were taken to Ridge Meadows Hospital with non-life-threatening injuries. The two children, Surrey residents aged eight and seven, stayed with adults at the park.

The bolts also sparked more than 100 new forest fires throughout the province on Saturday, said provincial fire information officer Alyson Couch. More forest fires are expected as the mercury rises. Hot, dry weather mixed with scattered thunderstorms is the perfect recipe for new blazes.

http://www.timescolonist.com/sports/Shocking+weather+just+begun/1831626/...

Ontario is shifting it's water bombers and crews out to B.C.  I don't think they'll be too busy here this summer.

Makes me wonder if Australia might be asked to lend a hand,  as our crews and planes have gone down there in our winter to help them in a pinch.  In fact, I've often wondered if it would make any sense if Canada and Australia developed a combined water bomber fleet, and shared costs. 

Water bombers and crews are expensive, and there's little point in having them idle in either country over the winters.

"In fact, I've often wondered if it would make any sense if Canada and Australia developed a combined water bomber fleet, and shared costs. 

Water bombers and crews are expensive, and there's little point in having them idle in either country over the winters."

I don't believe that the water bombers are owned by the government but by a private firm that then contracts with various governments for there use.

Anyone know what the flying range of those planes are - wonder if they would be able to make the long haul across the Pacific.

I'm sure they have in the past, though perhaps through a circuitous route for refueling. 

I just googled it, and it seems that you are probably right, they don't have the range-- except for one type, an ancient WWII era sea plane converted to water bombing,  the Martin Mars.  From a message board, it seems they might have the range, and I think one from Canada did go to Australia at one point.  Maybe this is what I am remembering.

OR, I am confusing that Canada sells water bombers to other countries.

Maybe we could transport them to Australia on those fast ferries? 

BC could be facing some serious water shortages this summer. 

 Okanagan Lake going down drain

http://www.kelownadailycourier.ca/top_story.php?id=201079&type=Local

Meanwhile  Canwest said at 6 there are places on flood alert, as the remaining snow pack melts quickly

yep, and there are 7000 spawning sockeye, as opposed the the hundreds of thousands there should be. Fraser is too warm?

Dry lightening freaks me out. I was in Blue River once when a storm hit. One minute it was calm and then the wind just rushed in like a wave.  Was staying in a campground and everyone just started running for their vehicles and we evacuated to a nearby restaurant along with dozens of other people. A bunch of use just stood under the cover by the door and watch it strike in the hills all around us. Pew, pew, bang, pew, BOOM!  Then stood there as the smoke and several little fires started. Scary times.

Yes, the weather change is fast eh, in the mountains.The wind sensors across the valley can pinpoint down to the second when the wind is going to pick up, if you have a link into them.

Valley is hazey but it could be smoke from the Clearwater fires.

Welcome to Whistler, but don't worry there will be lots of money to put this fire out!

http://www.cbc.ca/canada/british-columbia/story/2009/07/30/bc-whistler-b...

http://www.thestar.com/news/canada/article/675000

Stay out of the back country, as pparently there are more than 500 forest fires presently burning in BC.

Lillooet on alert as 2,650-hectare fire burns one kilometre away

http://www.vancouversun.com/news/Lillooet+alert+hectare+fire+burns+kilom...

Just be careful, and make sure you always have an escape route.

Mr. Horley said conditions are perfect for more burning. “It’s very hot, 36 to 38 degrees, and really low humidity.”

http://bcwildfire.ca/History/average.htm

http://bcwildfire.ca/hprScripts/WildfireNews/Statistics.asp

Needs to go a long way to catch up to 2003 and 2004, but that's not any consolation to people who have lost and may lose their homes and livelihoods this year. The way things are going, it will be an above average year though.

They just found him...way downstream.

Hope things are cooling off out there, as they are thisaway.

El nino is supposed to last into the first quarter of 2010 though. Might be an interesting winter. Hope Whistler has snow in February.

Exactly right. Here in the South East we are expecting high '30s this week. A few cool or wet days does not end the fire season. Tthere are at least 4 weeks to go and maybe till the end of September. One of the climate change effects seems to be LATER as well as drier and hotter summers. Most of the action in the big fire year of 2003 hapenned AFTER mid August.

It is close to 40 here with a very heavy hot dry wind.  A fire starts and the valley will burn.

My line full of clothes dried in less than 20 mins

Ya, the FS pumper truck came out and put it out,  don't know about a ticket though. He is new to the valley.

But the way the winds were whipping today one spark could have toasted the valley

Remind, it may be a case of differently qualified firefighters.  That is, you keep your 'A' team on the bench in order to fight initial attack on new starts, and use the 'B' team of imports to do the boring grunt work on established fires.

OK, do you have a link?

http://bcwildfire.ca/History/average.htm

http://bcwildfire.ca/hprScripts/WildfireNews/Statistics.asp

Looks like 2004 will be passed in the next day or so and 2003 is not beyond reach. Unfortunately.

If the BC Liberals, actually got proactive, as opposed to spending billions on reactive actions, there would be less to worry about.

No..they are not, just the regular ones.

And most go back to school the first week anyway, so they are not available usually, while they are this year.

What do you mean by "trained BC emergency fire fighters"? If you mean that they passed the S100 course and have a pair of boots it is not enough to be deployed. You have to be organised into crews. This is usually done by fire fighting contractors. Each crew of five has to have a certified crew leader, a level 1 first aid attendant, a qualified power saw operator and a certified Wildfire danger tree assessor among them.

The resources from other provinces and countries are on loan under mutual aid agreements and not purchased. If the hot spot was the east as it is some years BC fire fighters would go there. CIFFC