To drive through Cache Creek to Clinton, or Williams Lake to Soda Creek, is to drive under smoke, through smoke and past smoke.

Each week a new rotation of firefighters from the Saanich Fire Department has deployed to fight the wildfires raging across B.C.B次元官网网址檚 Interior. Since Saanich on July 12, itB次元官网网址檚 now taken on a bigger role, sending its to Clinton where itB次元官网网址檚 home base for that areaB次元官网网址檚 wildfire operations.

Joint PD & command vehicle being well used in as command post 2 help w the . Good luck 2day 馃憤

B次元官网网址� Saanich Police (@SaanichPolice)

Related:

Capt. Darwin Schellenberg led Saanich FireB次元官网网址檚 third deployment from July 24 to Aug. 1, working two days near Williams Lake, three days at Loon Lake, and some time at Soda Creek. In SchellenbergB次元官网网址檚 crew were Craig Ford, Carl Treples and Tom McConnell.

They experienced a lot of driving and, while they patrolled for hot spots and soaked vulnerable areas, they also moved a lot of water into strategic locations.

B次元官网网址淥nce we got to the Soda Creek fire we were tasked with helping in structural protection, setting up and filling bladders, which are large 1,500-gallon portable tanks,B次元官网网址� said Schellenberg, who started his firefighting career with the Princeton Sierras in 1989.

The bladders are ample enough to provide house protection should a fire reach them.

As the crew moved from one site to the next, including Loon Lake, which flared up with many homes lost, they found themselves partnered with local South Island fire crews.

At night, theyB次元官网网址檇 return to city centres where skeleton crews of citizens remained to keep hotels and restaurants open. Sometimes they camped at a group site.

Related:

The Tim Hortons in Williams Lake may have been the highlight of the week.

B次元官网网址淵ouB次元官网网址檇 meet a lot of firefighters from all over B.C., Whitehorse and Ontario,B次元官网网址� Schellenberg said. B次元官网网址淭here was one restaurant kept open in Clinton.B次元官网网址�

They were at Loon Lake when Clinton got the evacuation call, and the crew was redeployed there.

Everywhere they went, there was smoke.

B次元官网网址淭here was a lot of general smoke in the air, and as you got closer to each location youB次元官网网址檇 find large volumes of smoke, in some cases candling trees,B次元官网网址� Schellenberg said. B次元官网网址淭he fire [we came closest to] was the city of Clinton and in the areas burning around Loon Lake.B次元官网网址�

Overhead, thereB次元官网网址檚 always helicopters in the air and sometimes air tankers. The helicopters drop 1,500 gallons of water on specific locations while the air tankers drop retardants.

During the day it was warm, between 25 and 30 C though it dropped down to 15 C at night.

Through it all, the foursome was rarely apart from each other. Needless to say, they got to know each other really well.

B次元官网网址淚 already knew them quite well but when youB次元官网网址檙e living in a fire truck on 12- to 18-hour shifts, you get to know everyone that much more,B次元官网网址� Schellenberg said. B次元官网网址淲e all got along and worked extremely well as a unit.B次元官网网址�

reporter@saanichnews.com