Frankly Speaking

Jon Manchester photo/castanet.net Residents in Lake Country north of Kelowna fled from a fire on Saturday which destroyed at least eight homes. The wildfire situation in B.C. is as grim and desperate this summer as it has ever been, and there could be problems with such fires in the Lower Mainland as well before the summer is complete. Last year, there was a significant fire at Burns Bog in Delta in early July. The fire broke out on July 3 in the northwest portion of the bog. For a time, it was threatening nearby industrial businesses at Tilbury Industrial Park, but a concerted effort by Delta fire department and many other assisting agencies kept the fire confined to the bog area itself. It took eight days before it was extinguished. (There has been significant progress on the ground since that fire occurred. See this fascinating story in the North Delta Reporter for an update). There have been a number of fires at Burns Bog over the years, with one of the largest ...

Sunday's fire at Burns Bog in Delta, which prompted a response from water bombers, helicopters and many types of firefighting equipment on the ground,  is a good reminder of just how quickly a major natural disaster can strike. The Lower Mainland of B.C. is not immune from wildfires or other disasters. Sunday’s destructive Burns Bog fire, which went from a small grass burn to a 55 hectare uncontrolled forest and brush conflagration in a matter of hours, is a strong reminder of the potency of fire. Smoke was visible over most of the Lower Mainland Sunday afternoon. Fire crews from various parts of the province, including wildfire specialists, were called in. Water bombers and helicopters were used. One Vancouver radio station went off the air after its transmitter site was burned. Most of the Tilbury industrial park, adjacent to Burns Bog, was evacuated as a precaution and, as of Monday morning, several businesses were still under evacuation orders. Highway 17 between H...