Along with 15 helicopters and 40 pieces of heavy equipment, there are 260 wildland firefighters assigned to the Keremeos Creek fire, along with 166 structural protection personnel from fire departments across B.C. — including several from the capital region.
It’s getting dark as Craig Ford and a group of Island firefighters head back to base camp in Oliver in the south Okanagan.
“We’re here to help defend structures,” said Ford, a Saanich firefighter who arrived Monday and will remain for an indefinite period. “That’s our primary focus.” The resort west of Penticton with dozens of homes and cabins was evacuated on Monday. Ford said firefighters have built a massive sprinkler system connected to large pools of water that are connected to roof ridge lines of homes and buildings to create “humidity bubbles.”
Along with 15 helicopters and 40 pieces of heavy equipment, there are 260 wildland firefighters assigned to the Keremeos Creek fire, along with 166 structural protection personnel from fire departments across B.C. Victoria Deputy Fire Chief Dan Atkinson said Corby has “unique skills” in wildfire operations, because he used to work for the service in several roles, including as a “smoke jumper” parachuting into the fire zones to start attacks. He is serving as a task force commander in the South Okanagan.
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