B.C. is on fire!
Smoke seen behind school buses in the Okanagan. PHOTO BY HAROLD SCHOCK.
School districts band together to help displaced B.C. residents from the forest fires
W
e have had tense fire seasons in the past few years, but no one was ready for what developed this year. Towns and cities in the interior were placed on evacuation alert and many were presented with evacuation orders. The fires were moving fast and a number of them eventually joined to form the largest forest fire in British Columbia’s recorded history. Major highways and other roads were closed indefinitely as it was too dangerous, and some routes were needed to move evacuated people away from fire areas. Others chose to remain behind for various reasons. Where do you place all the people leaving? How do you ensure they get out and keep others from sneaking back in? By August 2nd there were more than 300 buildings destroyed by wildfires. By September 7th there were still more than 140 wildfires burn14
Ops Talk • Fall 2017
ing across the province. At the time of this writing, thousands are still on evacuation order, and nearly 12,000 remain on evacuation alert. The B.C. Wildfire Service has extended the state of emergency again, up to September 15th at this point. Schools remained untouched by fire with some just barely squeaking by. Gymnasiums in many school districts were being utilized with cots and blankets set up to receive displaced people. Kamloops and Kelowna both were ready to receive worried moms and dads. School grounds in a few communities were used to house firefighters and support staff, as well as the military. Extra RCMP members were flown in to Williams Lake to assist with evacuation and road blocks. The Peter Skene Ogden High School in 100 Mile was used as a dorm for both the RCMP and the B.C. fire crews. Lake City Secondary in Williams Lake had been used
