Heat Of The Day A Concern For Okanagan Wildfire Firefighters

Jul 26, 2018 | 6:44 AM

Firefighters battling the wildfires throughout the central Okanagan are doing their best to handle the heat of the week.

It’s the biggest topic of the week with the temperature where it is and heading to 35 or 36.

Wildfire Service Information Officer Noelle Kekula says managing their health is priority one.

“They are, especially on the old, from the 2003 fire, they’re in open exposed area on hot rock. There’s not a lot of shade for them. We really have to manage their dehydration.”

That means keeping well-stocked supplies.

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“Water, Gatorade, you know electrolytes, keeping their electrolytes high and just managing them. If they’re starting to feel faint, you know, we let them have a little break. We manage accordingly, try to find shade for them.”

She adds that shift management is also an important tool, starting and ending shifts earlier.

“Again, you have to manage that because if you get them out there too early and they’re back in camp too early and if the winds pick up which they traditionally do in the afternoon, we have to make sure we have crews in case that afternoon wind picks up.”

Kekula says new crews are coming in daily to help manage shifting.

First aid stations are set up at every staging.

Kekula says there have been minor injuries like sprained ankles or twisted knees, but nothing major.

by Tom Mark