UPDATE: Special team to take over management of growing Perry Ridge wildfire
By Castlegar Source
A Type One team will be arriving tonight to take over management of the still-uncontained Perry Ridge wildfire tomorrow morning, according to Southest Fire Centre information officer Jordan Turner.
Turner said the fire has grown 30 hectares overnight to an estimated 81 hectares, and the fire centre currently has eight helicopters and water tankers along with 60 fire fighters and five wildfire management officers on site.
One of the advantages, he said, of bringing in a Type One team comprised of specialists from across the province, is that they set up a permanent base camp on site from which they direct firefighting efforts and manage logistics in situ.
Turner said the fire is still remote and well away from people and structures.
This is one of five fires burning in the district right now, all of which were lightning-caused, So far this year, there have been 67 fires with 260 hectares burned. Of those, 31 were caused by people and 36 by lightning.
Previous update:
Two fires continue to burn on Perry Ridge about 4.5 kilometres outside of Winlaw – one has grown from 3.5 hectares to 35 hectares, while the other remains less than one hectare in size.
Southeast Fire Centre fire information officer Jordan Turner said the fire is in a remote area with no roads, houses or people, so helicopters are bringing in rappel crews to build helipads to allow the choppers to land and offload crews.
He said there are six helicopters and 48 personnel at the larger fire, and one helicopter with six personnel at the smaller, secondary one.
“They’re trying to get the fire contained, buildinga fuel-free zone so the fire can’t spread,” Turner said. “The helicopters are also bucketing throughout the fire.”
Previous story:
The report of two fires burning 4.5 kilometers west of Winlaw is not a good thing as a heat wave continues to melt the Southeast Fire Centre.
However, according to Southeast Fire Centre information officer Jordan Turner the fires are in a remote part of mountain near Perry Ridge with no structures or people affected.
“These fires are in a very remote area with no roads to them so we’re attaching them from the air,” Turner said from the Southeast Fire Centre in Castlegar.
“But we want to hit them with everything so they don’t become much larger fires.”
Turner said the fires are not contained and are being fought with air tankers, a 31-member ground crew, three helicopters, and one rappel crew.
Ken Lesley of P & R Archery & Sport in Pedro Creek south of Winlaw said he noticed the fire when he returned home Wednesday from Castlegar.
“I figure it was a smoldering lighting strike that started it,” Lesley said.
“They really hammered it last night with bombers and helicopters,” Lesley added.
“The good thing right now is there’s no wind so that should help them fight the fires.”
The fires come while the West Kootenay experiences the hottest week of summer to date.
Turner said the mercury climbed to 37.7 C Wednesday, which is why the Southeast Fire Centre is issuing a plea to the public.
“We want the public to be vigilant when in the outdoors so our resources aren’t taken away from fighting spot fires to deal with fires caused by human error,” Turner said.
“So although campfires are not banned, the public must have water and tools present in case something happens.”
Of the five fires burning in the Southeast Fire Centre all were caused by lightning strikes.
However, since last Thursday the Southeast Fire Centre reports an alarming 29 incidents involving improper or dangerous campfire use. This raises the number incidents 104 so far this season.
Most incidents, which include unattended or abandoned, took place last weekend Turner said.
The Southeast Fire Centre extends from the US border in the south to Mica Dam in the north and Monashee Mountains in the west to the B.C.-Alberta border in the east.
Currently Turner said the fire rating ranges from moderate to high in the Southeast Fire Centre with extreme rating in the Revelstoke, Cranbrook, Creston and Grand Forks regions.
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