Chilliwack firefighters are getting in on the battle against wildfires in the Interior.
The Chilliwack Fire Department announced Friday one fire truck and four firefighters are already up north helping with wildfire suppression efforts.
The firefighters are working 24 hours a day rotating on two, 12-hour shifts in the Clinton area, according to Fire Chief Ian Josephson.
Word of the small measure of assistance from Chilliwack comes as the latest evacuation orders were issued Thursday for Anahim Lake and Nimpo Lake areas.
To help with those evacuations, if needed and if people come this far, Emergency Social Services group lodging, located at Chilliwack secondary school, continues to remain open from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Monday to Friday. To date more than 2,000 Interior residents have registered.
The Chilliwack Fire Department has also assisted with the training and education of more than 100 military personnel in wildland fire suppression tactics. That training is being conducted at the fire department’s new training facility located on Wolfe Road.
Another 100 military personnel will be completing their training next week and will be deployed to the Interior.
While some cooler weather and rain may be on the horizon, the Chilliwack Fire Department is reminding residents and visitors that the fire rating is still high to extreme.
Smoking is prohibited in Chilliwack’s parks and trails.
Just Thursday a suspected arson of hundreds of pallets at a berry processing facility on Brannick Place could have been much worse if crews didn’t knock it down quickly.
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