366 replies to this topic

[Mike K.]

There were four wildfires on the Island over the weekend, including a fire in Port Alberni reported yesterday that has doubled in size to five acres: https://www.facebook...59523963489362/

It is suspected human activity caused it.

Meanwhile another fire started near Port Renfrew, also likely human caused. The Pacheedaht Nation is asking logging protestors to leave the area citing a fire risk: https://www.timescol..._medium=twitter

Two other fires were near Campbell River and Nanaimo.

[Victoria Watcher]

6ne th5ng t6 rea35ze 5s that absent any 35ghtn5ng a33 f5res are c6ns5dered h40an ca4sed.

 

s60eth5ng see0s wr6ng w5th 0y 2eyb6ard.

Edited by Victoria Watcher, 29 June 2021 - 06:58 AM.

[Mike K.]

6ne th5ng t6 rea35ze 5s that absent any 35ghtn5ng a33 f5res are c6ns5dered h40an ca4sed.

s60eth5ng see0s wr6ng w5th 0y 2eyb6ard.

I’m guessing this is robot caused.

[Mike K.]

From I’ve deciphered, you’re saying absent of lightning wildfires are human caused. Yes, that’s right. But the cause is considered likely until evidence is uncovered proving it.

[Mike K.]

350-hectares are burning in Lytton. 180-hectares near Cache Creek.

Both are human caused.

[Victoria Watcher]

what I mean is that often people see human caused and they think arson or serious negligence. or cigarettes.

but it’s often quite benign.

could be some glass.

often is a spark from vehicles and equipment.

Edited by Victoria Watcher, 29 June 2021 - 07:23 AM.

[Victoria Watcher]

and by actual acres burned each year the highest total is natural fires caused by lightning,

[Mike K.]

You should not be operating machinery without spark arrestors. That's 100% preventable.

 

Natural wildfires burn more acreage because it can be tougher to get to them, too.

[max.bravo]

The point is that wildfires are good. Every wildfire we put out today leaves more fuel for a megafire later. the wildfire management programs of the last 70 years were a huge mistake- they protect the interests of forestry companies at the expense of nearly everything else. Frequent wildfires are normal and necessary.

[Mike K.]

Yes, but 80% of fires are not natural and put residential areas at risk for no benefit to society or the environment.

Two more fires are burning on the island, one near Port McNeil and the other near Port Alice (sort of).

[Victoria Watcher]

British Columbia’s premier John Horgan is on summer vacation, that comes at a time when homes across B.C.'s interior are being destroyed by wildfires in addition to grappling with a fourth wave of COVID-19.

Horgan has not been seen since July 21, more than four weeks ago.


https://calgary.ctvn...-rise-1.5552461

Edited by Victoria Watcher, 18 August 2021 - 03:16 PM.

[max.bravo]

How does this year compare to other bad wildfire years?

[Mike K.]

Trudeau wants to invest $500M into wildfire bombers and more firefighters.

Back when we had the Mars bombers we didn’t have fires anywhere near as bad as they are today. Clearly the situation isn’t working with the new air support techniques heavily reliant on helicopters. When recently asked why the massive bombers are no longer in use, BC Wildfire Service gave a non answer.

- https://www.google.c...ter-bomber/amp/

So we have these bombers at our disposal, unused, and we also have the worst wildfires in history (generally speaking), and the correlation isn’t being made between the big guns sitting idle and major fires getting out of control? Dry summer conditions are a BC thing. None of this is particularly new when viewed over an extended timeline.

[LJ]

^He has had over five years to do this, why now do you think?

[punk cannonballer]

I'll bet Pam wishes she had that Lytton tofu back now.

[On the Level]

I think Coulson and the BC Forest service had a falling out, so the fate of the Martin Mars and other large tankers is more political that tactical.  There is also the whole discussion of whether we should be fighting fires in the first place as all it has done over the last 80 years is create a massive amount of fuel on the forest floor.  Of course the academic decision to allow fires to burn is having a reality check.

[North Shore]

^ I had heard that there was a spat between Coulson and BCFC also - dating back several years.  That being said, while it is large and impressive, the Mars is pretty much obsolete.  If large, piston-engined tankers were still a viable option, then Viking would be making them - instead, they are making turbine kits to retrofit  the older CL215s, and looking at re-starting production of the CL415.  

 

WRT fighting fires,  now that we've got all of that unburned fuel on the forest floor as a result of years of suppression, I wonder if we have to fight all fires, cos if we don't, they'll fox-oscar into huge megafires?

[On the Level]

^ I am not sure what the solution is, but it's probably a combination of things.  Let some burn if they are not going to encroach on towns etc.  I can also see a massive effort to create fire breaks along with some intentional burning.

[Victoria Watcher]

we probably go at some too eagerly that are only mildly threatening individual properties. rather than larger towns or villages.

[North Shore]

^ I am not sure what the solution is, but it's probably a combination of things.  Let some burn if they are not going to encroach on towns etc.  I can also see a massive effort to create fire breaks along with some intentional burning.

 

I think that the writing is on the wall for many communities in fire zones: clear up your interfaces, create fire breaks, and fire-proof as much as possible.  Change building codes to mandate more fire resistant/proof designs, etc...  Also, i think that property owners have to step up to the plate...the fire near Vernon burnt a bunch of lakefront properties a few days back.  Million dollar homes, right next to the lake, with fancy boats moored on one side, and $40k + cars parked on the other, and yet they couldn't/wouldn't spend $3k on a Honda pump and a sprinkler kit to protect their own homes...