The fire chief of a British Columbia community devastated by a fast-moving wildfire in 2023 says itB次元官网网址檚 B次元官网网址渉auntingB次元官网网址� to see similar circumstances playing out in Southern California.
Jason Brolund, the fire chief in West Kelowna, B.C., says the images from the Los Angeles area B次元官网网址� where flames have torn through thousands of homes over the past week B次元官网网址� are so familiar and vivid that some of his firefighters wonB次元官网网址檛 look at them.
West Kelowna bore the brunt of the McDougall Creek fire in August 2023, when it descended on neighbourhoods surrounding Okanagan Lake and destroyed or damaged almost 200 properties.
In Southern California, flames fanned by high winds have devastated communities including Pacific Palisades and Pasadena, spreading in a manner similar to what West Kelowna encountered in 2023.
Brolund says the fires are an important reminder that communities must be proactive about the risks of large wildfires near urban areas as climate change triggers more blazes.
He says West Kelowna firefighters are also keeping a close eye on the strategies and technologies deployed in the L.A. fight, such as extensive nighttime aerial firefighting capabilities that would benefit B.C.B次元官网网址檚 own battle against future wildfires.
B次元官网网址淲e watch California closely,B次元官网网址� Brolund says. B次元官网网址淲e have for many years. They are considered a bellwether B次元官网网址� what they are experiencing now, potentially five to 10 years (from) now, could be something that we see in our region.
B次元官网网址淭heir strategies, tactics and technology, things that theyB次元官网网址檙e using on the ground today to fight those fires, are things that we hope to see here.B次元官网网址�
Brolund says his department has been asking for nighttime aerial firefighting capabilities since the 2023 fires, and the province has B次元官网网址渢aken the first stepsB次元官网网址� toward providing that capability.
The BC Wildfire Service says two contracted helicopters were equipped to fly with night-vision technology in 2024 and were integrated into operations in July.
The night-vision technology was mainly used for reconnaissance, detection and mapping, although nighttime waterbombing was also performed B次元官网网址渙n a few select wildfires.B次元官网网址�
Brolund says the images from California cause memories of West KelownaB次元官网网址檚 own ordeal to resurface, including the thoughts that raced through his head as the flames roared into residential neighbourhoods in August 2023.
B次元官网网址淚tB次元官网网址檚 incredibly disturbing to watch,B次元官网网址� Brolund says of the images from L.A. B次元官网网址淪eeing it again takes you right back to that night. Now, though, weB次元官网网址檙e able to think about a lot of the things that we didnB次元官网网址檛 have time to think about when we were in the heat of the battle.
B次元官网网址淵ou donB次元官网网址檛 think about how close you came to things until after itB次元官网网址檚 happened, and that B次元官网网址� in a lot of cases B次元官网网址� makes it even more difficult.B次元官网网址�
On Friday, B.C. Premier David Eby said CaliforniaB次元官网网址檚 Department of Forestry and Fire Protection had asked the province B次元官网网址渇or a senior management team from BC Wildfire Service,B次元官网网址� and that team would be leaving for the U.S. B次元官网网址渋mminently.B次元官网网址�
Eby also said B.C. was B次元官网网址渨orking to send groundcrews as part of a national response.B次元官网网址�
B次元官网网址淐alifornia has been there for us, we will be there for them,B次元官网网址� Eby said in a statement posted on social media platform X. B次元官网网址淭hatB次元官网网址檚 what good neighbours do.B次元官网网址�
Brolund says he canB次元官网网址檛 confirm if West Kelowna firefighters have been asked to join the firefight in Los Angeles, but his team is B次元官网网址渋n the early stages of being prepared for that.B次元官网网址�
He says 50 fire engines from 30 different fire departments came to the aid of West Kelowna in 2023, and his department wants to B次元官网网址渄o our best to support our neighbours.B次元官网网址�
Brolund urged Canadians to be prepared for emergencies.
B次元官网网址淎s horrible as it is, this fire has been a great illustration of the importance of having an emergency plan as a family, knowing what would you do if you had to leave your home and evacuate quickly,B次元官网网址� he says. B次元官网网址淲hat would you bring with you? How would you reunite with your family? Having that plan done in advance can make a world of difference.
B次元官网网址淓ven though across Canada weB次元官网网址檙e experiencing winter right now and wildfire is not necessarily front of mind, this event has brought it front of mind.B次元官网网址�
