As unprecedented drought continues in the West, communities in B.C. and Alberta prepare for the worst
This handout picture provided by Alberta wildfire shows firefighters battling fires in Fox Lake that persist despite the cold and snow in Alberta on February 6.For months, officials in Western Canada have been warning that this year could be a dangerous wildfire season, after a warm, dry winter and a lower than usual snowpack left conditions primed for ignition.10 days ahead of the usual March 1 starting date. That allowed the province to issue fire bans and other restrictions to limit the risk.
The service has already hired another 1,300 seasonal firefighters for the summer. It includes 162 initial attack crews, which is an uplift of 13 crews from the previous fire season. Initial attack crews are small, three- or four-person quick-response teams that are able to control over 90 per cent of all new wildfires in B.C.
His sprawling district, spanning more than 70,000 square kilometres, is among those battling two crises – wildfires and severe drought – at the same time.“We learned last year when you have as many fires as we did in our regional district, you don’t have a lot of times,” he said. “We weren’t used to having that volume of fires, so it takes a lot of time to make sure that it’s all done correctly. So we want to make sure that we’re not losing time with communication.
Ms. Friesen said the early wildfire season has prompted many in her community to fill their water trucks and have farm equipment on stand-by so they can create a firebreak to prevent the spread, if needed.“We have two water trucks rigged up so we’re able to transport 10,000 gallons at any time. Literally, it’s one phone call and the trucks are ready to go,” she said.
Dennis Craig, an assistant fire chief responsible for wildfire mitigation and prevention for the Kelowna Fire Department, said his department has been exploring, for example, the use of drone and thermal cameras to prevent a repeat of last year.
District Season Time Lot Wildfire Equipment Water Kelowna Mark Parker Alanna Smith
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