The Dryden Creek wildfire tripling in size days after discovery and leading to the evacuation of Alice Lake Park is another example of a troubling pattern and underscores the need for more vigorous initial air attack.
The BC Wildfire Service has a tendency to be cheap on initial air attack and on losing fires.
Air attack needs to take the lead in the first 24 hours with ground crews supporting aircraft, not the reverse.
With changing weather and changing landscape, fires, especially difficult fires, need powerful, heavy lift helicopters to generously wash fires off the hillside, quickly and safely, both day and night.
Additionally, more powerful rotary and fixed-wing aircraft on seasonal standby are needed. The BCWS senior decision makers can make it happen if they want to.
As a former BC fire protection officer and Incident management team member, the right type and number of aircraft dispatched on discovery significantly influences the outcome.
The evacuation of Alice Lake Park and keeping neighbourhoods on edge for days should not have needed to happen.
Clarence Friesen
Kelowna
