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Firefighters gain upper hand after multiple fire starts
Members of the Columbia Valley Rural Fire & Rescue Service continue to patrol for hot spots but have gained the upper hand on the Madias Creek Wildfire, which broke out Monday.
“Monday was a challenging day for our Fire Service as the Madias Creek Wildfire broke out adjacent to the highway between Fairmont and Windermere. Our Volunteer Firefighters responded quickly and worked tirelessly alongside BC Wildfire Service (BCWS) Crews. Unified command was quickly established and extra air resources were called in,” explained Columbia Valley Rural Fire & Rescue Service Chief Drew Sinclair.
“Other than highway access at the base of the fire, there was no road access for bush trucks or tenders and all ground efforts were made on foot with hand tools and hose-lines. This was intense work in extremely hot conditions.”
In total, eight members from Fairmont Hot Springs and 12 members from Windermere responded with three pieces of apparatus each as well as two command vehicles. Two Edgewater members who happened to be in the area also immediately jumped in to help.
“For many of our members this was their second call of the day and most of them worked until midnight. We kept a small crew overnight for hot spots and to make sure nothing escaped before returning Tuesday morning with 13 members and five apparatus from both fire departments to get the fire contained. The four members of our RDEK Work Experience Program were a valuable resource bolstering our numbers and quick response,” added Sinclair.
Due to the aggressive fire behaviour, limited egress routes and concern for public safety, a tactical evacuation was performed Monday afternoon by RCMP who remained on scene until contract security and flaggers could be set up on the #3 Road before being relieved by Mainroad East Kootenay contracting staff.
The Evacuation Order was downgraded to an Alert Tuesday afternoon and the Evacuation Alerts for the entirety of the ?akisq?nuk First Nation reserve and Elkhorn areas also remain in effect.
Earlier Monday afternoon, firefighters also responded to a call for three small grassfires along Westside Road. Passing cyclists reported the fires and assisted until fire crews arrived. Fortunately, these fires were quickly contained and extinguished.
Both these fires and the Madias Creek Wildfire are human caused. It is important to note that human-caused refers to something started as a result of human activity, not necessarily negligence.
“The size of the Madias Creek fire and the positive outcome is a credit to our strong valley relationships. I want to thank everyone who was actively involved in the response including our firefighters, BC Wildfire crews and air support, RCMP and Mainroad, ?akisq?nuk First Nation Chief, Council and members, and the Regional Emergency Program. I also want to acknowledge the evacuees who were so cooperative under extremely difficult circumstances, and the wider community who have been incredibly supportive,” said Sinclair.
“While the threat was enormous, teamwork prevailed.”
RDEK
