Fighting the big ones

Photo: B.C. Wildfire Centre

May 14th photo of Beaton Road fire.

It's day 12 for firefighters from the North Okanagan involved in battling a massive blaze in the Peace River region, 45 kilometres north of Fort St. John.

The Beaton Airport Road fire is an estimated 15,000 hectares in size and 45 per cent contained, according to the B.C. Wildfire Service.

“It's miles and miles and miles,” says BX-Swan Lake fire chief Bill Wacey, a structural protection specialist, whose team includes three members from his own hall and two from the Armstrong-Spallumcheen fire department.

The group is among other structure protection teams using huge trailers that can protect up to 35 or 40 houses at a time.

“We set up protection around these structures and usually the fire will go around it – it will usually go by,” Wacey says.

“We've had some big wind events. We've seen some extreme fire behaviour.”

The wildfire centre reports crews have had success burning fuels to enhance perimeter control in the Beaton fire. However, the north flank saw some areas move over the control lines. Overnight crews were able to rebuild lines, and today hotspotting and fire suppression is being supported by helicopters and heavy equipment.

Also on Monday, the fire chief was seconded for a flight over the Siphon Creek fire to strategize on how to combat it. That fire spread into Alberta and now reaches more than 66,000 hectares.

“We have been pretty successful but it is an inexact science. There has been some bizarre fire behaviour.”

The North Okanagan crew wraps up its efforts on Thursday and will be replaced by another specialist team from Kamloops.