A team of Port Moody firefighters and an engine are in West Kelowna today (Aug. 21) to help save homes at risk due to one of the biggest wildfires currently in B.C.
The 110 sq-km. McDougall Creek blaze is burning on both sides of Okanagan Lake and at least 50 homes have burned while crews work in smoky, hot areas to protect as many structures as possible.
"They are assisting other units that are out there, patrolling for hot spots and helping reduce any further risks," said Port Moody (PMFR) deputy chief Jason Harper.
Four firefighters and a captain left early Sunday morning (Aug. 20) and were already on the ground by mid-day.
The deployment comes as residents of Kelowna are thanking firefighters for saving their homes.
Kelowna resident Jason Venning posted on social media a video of a firefighter dousing a blaze.
Harper said he was waiting for an update on what's been happening in the field with his crew, but said he expected the work to be an ongoing challenge and the crews will be in the area for a week — possibly two.
"A typical deployment for the province is 14 days, we often split that to be able to accommodate our staffing," said Harper, who explained that this is is the second crew to be deployed to help fight B.C. wildfires.
Another crew recently returned to the city from fighting the Rossmoore Lake fire near Kamloops.
Typically, firefighters would work to set up sprinklers to cause humidity to steer fires away from homes. But Harper said in this case crews are assisting in patrolling to put out anything that could possibly flare up.
PoMo picks up shifts to aid wildfire battle
Port Moody is able to provide trained firefighters to assist in B.C.'s wildfire situation because other staff are willing to pick up shifts.
Harper thanked crews at home for filling in the gaps to ensure that Port Moody is protected even as firefighters leave to fight blazes elsewhere.
"Without staff stepping up to cover shifts for these individuals, we would not be able to deploy," Harper said, adding that Port Moody Fire Services also has enough back up equipment to deal with any fires in the city.
The situation became dire in Kelowna last Friday (Aug. 18) and the province put a call out for firefighters to assist.
Premier David Eby's decision to declare a provincial state of emergency also enabled the province to draw on necessary resources.
Under the act, the government can implement procedures it considers necessary to prevent, respond to and alleviate the effects of an emergency or disaster.
Eby said late Friday that B.C. is facing the worst wildfire season in its history and the deteriorating situation means the province needs to respond to challenging days ahead.
- with a file from The Canadian Press
