Wednesday July 5, 2023 | VICTORIA, BC
by Mary P Brooke, B.Sc. | Island Social Trends
BC Wildfire Service delivered a public media update today, in light of continued dry hot weather in BC, noting that Vancouver Island is particularly vulnerable to wildfires right now and in the coming days.
There is no precipitation in the foreseeable future, and the ground is already in drought condition starting from October 2022 when was exceptionally warm and dry.
Smoky air will have impacts for island communities at various points through the summer season, it was explained.
Public responsiveness to wildfires:
“The public is far more attuned to what’s happening in terms of of fire and fire preparedness,” said Cliff Chapman, Director, Provincial Operations, BC Wildfire Service today. He notes there were 45 fires over the Canada Day long weekend and in response to that BC Wildfire Service received over 1,000 calls through their call centre.
“That’s what we want, that’s what we’re encouraging the public from a protection standpoint to do for us,” said Chapman.
To report a wildfire or irresponsible behaviour that could start a wildfire in BC people should call 1-800-663-5555 or *5555 from a cell phone. That applies even if you think BCWS might already know about the fire — better to call than not.
Partnership programs:
So many of the programs that we’ve really rolled out the last number of years are partnership program, says Chapman, referring to Fire Smart and prevention and risk reduction activities. “They are in conjunction with communities, with First Nation communities, done in partnership with BC Wildfire Service and/or the Ministry of Forests.”
To beat hazards. that is the way forward. “That is how we need to approach hazards in BC,” said Chapman. And it seems to be working. “From a wildfire perspective the public has been extremely responsible and responsive with this call to action. Fire is a natural occurring event in BC and we need to become more resilient and reduce the risk and impacts on communities and infrastructure.”
“Communities that have experienced fires in the past know that it’s possible to experience them in the future,” said Pader Brach, Executive Director, Regional Operations, EMCR. And so we do know in British Columbia that there’s definitely community members experienced with working through fire seasons. Like they have in the past.”
How to report a wildfire:
To report a wildfire or irresponsible behaviour that could start a wildfire in British Columbia, please call 1 800 663-5555 or (*5555 from a cell phone) as soon as possible.
Information from the public is crucial to the effectiveness of our response. If you can, take a picture of the fire and submit it using the BC Wildfire Service app (download in the App Store and on Google Play).
All calls are answered by BC Wildfire Service staff at the Provincial Wildfire Reporting Centre. Any information you can provide is helpful, however you can expect the emergency call taker to ask for details about the fire, such as;
- Location
i.e. Where is the fire? How far up the hillside? Closest intersection? - Size
e.g. Metres? Hectares? Size of a house? Size of a football field? - Rate of spread
i.e. How quickly is the fire spreading? - Fuel
i.e. What is burning? Grass, bushes, trees? - Smoke/flames
i.e. What colour is the smoke? Are flames visible? - Threat
i.e. Are there any people or buildings at risk? - Action
i.e. Is anyone fighting the fire? - Campfires
If reporting a campfire, can you tell if it is wood burning or is it a propane campfire?