For two 麻豆精选 men who were front and centre during the Okanagan Mountain Park wildfire 15 years ago, the current forest fire situation in the Okanagan is hitting a little too close to home.
Former 麻豆精选 fire chief Gerry Zimmerman and former City of 麻豆精选 city manager Ron Mattiussi say the current fire burning in Okanagan Mountain Park on the east side of Okanagan Lake not only brings back memories, it鈥檚 also a concern.
鈥淯ltimately, these fires are wind-driven events,鈥� said Mattiussi, who spent days in the emergency operations centre set up in 麻豆精选 to co-ordinate the firefighter response to the 2003 wildfire. 鈥淚t鈥檚 Mother Nature.鈥�
That fire destroyed more than 240 homes in southern part of the city, several historic Kettle Valley Rail trestles in Myra Canyon and forced the evacuation of 30,000 people from the Mission area of 麻豆精选.
Zimmerman, who was the city鈥檚 fire chief during that pivotal moment in 麻豆精选鈥檚 history agrees鈥攕hifts in the wind can change a fire鈥檚 behaviour quickly, and dramatically.
He said Friday he remembers flying in a helicopter over the 2003 fire when it was still confined to the park and the wind appeared to be pushing it towards Naramata to the south.
He said he was being concerned for the small rural community it appeared to be heading toward.
鈥淏ut by the time we landed and I got back to the fire hall, the wind had shifted and was blowing the flames towards 麻豆精选,鈥� said Zimmermann. 鈥淎nd you know what happened next.鈥�
Related: Okanagan Wildfires: The latest on wildfires and evacuations
As someone who has been there and done that when it comes to fighting an intense wildfire threatening a city, Zimmermann said he believes the best approach to all forest fires is 鈥渉it them with everything you鈥檝e got from the start,鈥� and not let them burn unabated, even if they are considered well away from buildings and humans.
鈥淣ot everyone agrees with me on that, but that鈥檚 how I feel,鈥� said Zimmermann.
In 2003, because the fire was burning outside of the 麻豆精选 Fire Department鈥檚 jurisdiction at the start, his advice went unheeded and he was powerless to change that approach.
Today he says he still feels the same way.
鈥淗it it hard right away regardless of jurisdiction or cost. Figure all that out later.鈥�
Mattiussi said he understands the sentiment but this time around there are other major fires burning in the area at the same time and, in the case of the Mt. Eneas fire just south of Peachland, they are threatening buildings.
So prioritization of resources may be an issue, he said.
鈥淚鈥檓 not going to second guess anyone. I know these guys are trying real hard.鈥�
Zimmermann said he is not trying to be critical of any current decision, but said the Good Creek fire currently burning in Okanagan Mountain Park is eerily similar to the early stages of the 2003 fire. Both started with lightening strikes and were allowed to burn for days before they became a serious threat.
But, according to Mattiussi, unlike 15 years ago, the area is not as dry as it was back then when the area had not seen any serious precipitation for several weeks, the temperature was very high, it was later in the summer, the humidity level was very low and the winds constantly very strong.
Related: Updated: Complete list of B.C. Interior wildfire coverage
In addition to the fires south of Peachland and in Okanagan Mountain Park, there is a also a serious growing fire burning near Summerland. All three blazes are fires of note for the B.C. Wildfire Service.
Flying water tankers, ground crews and heavy equipment are all being used to fight the three fires and all three remain out of control.
More than 40 homes have been evacuated because of the Peachland-area fire and 656 homes are on evacuation alert. The fire is estimated at 1,000 hectares.
Other smaller fires in the area include one near Law Creek southwest of Glenrosa in West 麻豆精选 that has prompted an evacuation alert for 198 properties in the upper Glenrosa area.
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