61 Coastal Fire Centre crews have been deployed to the Interior to help crews fight fires around Lytton (left) and lightning-caused fires near Kamloops (right). (Chilliwack Fire/M. Sheridan)

By Alex Rawnsley

FIRE SUPPORT

Coastal Fire Centre crews deployed to help fight Interior wildfires

Jul 3, 2021 | 6:26 AM

NANAIMO — A quiet start to the local fire season has freed up resources to go help elsewhere.

Three unit crews, consisting of 20 people each, along with one division supervisor were recently loaned to other jurisdictions in the province helping fight numberous wildfires in B.C.’s central interior.

Donna MacPherson, fire information officer with the Coastal Fire Centre, told NanaimoNewsNOW they are still well stocked with resources here to deal with what’s coming.

“They look to upcoming weather patterns, what kind of fires we’ve had to date, whether we’re getting lightning or not…and then we have enough resources to deal with that.

A record-shattering heat wave combined with an abnormally dry spring have made forests across the province bone dry.

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Emergency officials implemented a sweeping fire ban in late June, with campfires outlawed in the Coastal Fire Centre for the first time in two years.

MacPherson said the ban was necessary given current conditions and forecasts showing little hope on the horizon.

“The fire danger rating honestly is not going to go down until we get significant precipitation, not just one downfall but fairly good rain over two, three or four days with the opportunity for the rain to soak down into the ground.”

No rain of note is in the forecast for the next two weeks, although MacPherson noted an increased chance of lightning for the region beginning Friday, July 2 and through the weekend.

The fire danger rating remains at ‘high’ for the eastern portion of Vancouver Island and ‘moderate’ for the west. A small section of the Gulf Islands is the lone part listed as ‘extreme’ on Vancouver Island.

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alex.rawnsley@jpbg.ca

On Twitter: @alexrawnsley