Relentless fires continue to blaze across the province.
Despite firefighters — both volunteer and otherwise — working around the clock to calm the storm, there is no cessation on the horizon of the maelstrom of embers.
However, with more and more firefighters joining the fight every day, we can be hopeful that this dreadful situation will eventually be diminished.
The deployment of paid firefighting resources takes time, though, as a request must first be sent to and approved by city council, and rescue services must then wait for the province to call for support.
Vernon council unanimously approved deputy fire chief David Lind’s request for provision of Vernon Fire and Rescue Services resources to help the provincial response to the wildfires at a special council meeting Wednesday morning.
“Should a request for assistance arise, the response would consist of an engine or tanker and up to six members at a time, depending on the need and resources available,” Lind said.
Luckily volunteer firefighters are able to join the fight at a moment’s notice, as the official process for utilizing paid resources is admittidely a bit drawn out, though it’s for good reason.
Requests must pass through the proper channels to ensure that, while local professional resources are allocated elsewhere, all bases are still covered in event of an emergency.
Because fires can still spark here in Vernon, as evidenced by Monday night’s condominium fire that brought in Coldstream, Vernon and BX firefighters to quell the flames.
And, as we all know, we are all still at the whim of Mother Nature.
