More Delta firefighters are expected to be heading to the B.C. Interior to help battle the raging wildfires.
It was last Friday (Aug. 18) when Delta responded to a request from B.C. Wildlife Service and sent five firefighters, along with a Type 1 fire truck, support vehicle and trailer to the Kelowna area. Their initial role was protecting critical infrastructure in urban environments, as well as hold and protect to keep the fire from advancing into residential buildings.
“Fortunately, things have calmed down and they definitely have got ahead of it a little bit,” explained Delta Deputy Chief Tim Ipsen. “(On Sunday) they were doing things like putting out spot fires and stuff like that. They might start deploying crews to different areas now. I know there is a big concern over in Shuswap and Adams Lake.
“Our crew will probably remain there until Thursday and almost certainly we will be deploying another. We are just waiting for information from the province on where exactly they would be going.”
Every year, BC Wildfire Service asks Delta what it can commit to provincial firefighting efforts.
Delta has always stepped up, but Ispen admits it’s a juggling act to make sure the halls here are not shorthanded, especially at a challenging time of year for scheduling. The wildfire commitment for a firefighter is typically four working days and two travelling.
“First and foremost, we have to make sure that we are servicing Delta, and we're not depleting resources, staffing or equipment, so that's top priority. This is a time of year when typically, a lot of people are on holidays,” he said. “So early on, we put out the word and then when we get to wildfire season, we have a list of people that are interested in going. It’s usually short notice too, like getting a phone call the night before to find out you’re going at 6 a.m. the next morning.
“We don’t have an abundance of equipment either. We do like to keep spares in our fleet because our trucks are breaking down all the time. The truck that is up there right now is part of our rotational maintenance fleet program, so it’s a little bit of a wing and prayer in hoping everything remains fine down here.”
As of Monday, at least 50 structures have been lost or damaged to the McDougall Creek wildfire within the City of West Kelowna and Westbank First Nation.
