Fire update and Context

[Maybe you're looking for the 2006 Chilcotin Fires ]

Last night's Global tv coverage provided the first substantial images of the Loneseome Lake fire, which is now consistently making national headlines. Rosemary will be sending soon some current pictures of the fire, which I'll reproduce here. Here's Rosemary's latest report:

"A few new hotspots erupted on the Lonesome Lake portion yesterday, but the predicted strong southerlies now won't happen until later today, so there are 30 men down there, near the trench, putting in a back burn.  Back burns can be very effective, but the winds have to be just right.  There was an attempt made to do that last June when the fire was still above John's place - in fact, they trucked a huge amount of fuel into the Precipice so they could operate closer to the fire - but the winds changed and it was never possible.

I'm told that looking at the destruction of John's place from the air one might almost think the fire had a malevolent intent when it came down the slope, jumped across the river, devoured some sappy green pines, then raced across the grass to the buildings.  John and fire crews were there at the time, trying to set up sprinklers, but had to make a dash for safety.  Incredibly, deciduous trees are still live and green around the destroyed homestead.

The sprinklers, strange though it seems, do a very good job when placed in time.  With fire insurance sky rocketing - assuming one can get it at all - an investment in sprinklers and pumps may be an option that more of us in very remote areas will be considering in the future.

The residents on the north shore of Charlotte Lake and the towns along Highway 20 are breathing a little easier, but of course it's difficult to predict the ultimate course of a fire of this magnitude.  It still is rated between 3 and the highest, 6, depending on the area.  This morning it is going up the west shore of Crazy Bear Lake and it still is very serious along the south shore of Charlotte.

Fighting fire in this area is difficult, and the crews are really challenged.  Unlike the Okanagan fires, the terrain here can only be described as vertical - series of abrupt drops of 1,000' to 2,000' with heavily forested areas interspersed with huge rock slides.  The bucket helicopters often have to lift the water straight up a 500' cliff, with the smaller BirdDog helicopter hovering above it directing operations, and the two looking like a pair of dragonflies in some strange mating ritual.  The 14 helicopters on this fire are using about 6,000 litres of fuel an hour!

The ground crews arrive back each evening exhausted and filthy.  A large tent city has been set up in Anahim at the airport, with 66' cook trailers - like a mobile military kitchen - and laundry and bathing facilities.

This fire is far from being out, and there are areas where it is impossible to fight it, but certainly it sounds as if everything possible is now being done to keep it from spreading to populated areas."