This past week saw steady work for Clearwater Fire Zone’s initial attack crew, according to forest protection technician Vaughn McCaig.
There were seven incidents at the fire zone during the week, including five new fires.
As of Monday the three-person IA crew plus contract firefighters from Clearwater Wildfire had been on Fire 440 for four days and were in the patrol stage. The fire was .6 hectare in size and located on the west side of Tum Tum Lake at about the 1600 m level.
Two rappel crews had been working Fire 456 for four days as well. Air tankers had actioned the fire, while helicopters had been bucketing the fire plus offloading water into bladders on the ground.
The .2 ha fire was located on extremely steep terrain near Gollen Creek at the north end of Adams Lake.
Fire 452 was located on terrain too steep for the IA crew near Dominion Creek north of Blue River.
Staff from the Fire Zone were keeping an eye on it but, as of Monday, no smoke had been seen for four days.
Sunday night the fire zone received a call from CN about a locomotive on fire near Avola.
By the time the fire zone crew arrived, CN had dealt with the fire.
On Saturday there was a small fire in a sawdust pile in Blue River. This also was put out by the time the fire zone crew arrived.
One of the two IA crews normally stationed in Clearwater has been working in northern B.C. for two weeks. The crew was expected back home on Tuesday.
McCaig said that when one of the IA crews is deployed elsewhere, the fire zone can draw on rappel crews and other assets through Kamloops Fire Center.
Campfires continue to be permitted within the Clearwater Fire Zone, but McCaig reminded people to be careful and to have a bucket of water and a shovel handy.
Most people are aware that conditions are quite dry and are acting accordingly, he noted.
