West Kelowna fire chief Jason Brolund at news conference Aug. 19 (Image credit: YouTube)

By Kevin Rothwell

Saturday update

Okanagan fires: Unprecedented firefighting tactics save infrastructure

Aug 19, 2023 | 1:00 PM

The fire chief of West Kelowna says an “army” of firefighters from across the province has managed to earn a reprieve for the city in the battle against the devastating McDougall Creek wildfire.

Jason Brolund told a media update Saturday, Aug. 19, that they have 127 structural firefighters on the ground and 41 pieces of equipment from all over the province.

“How do I begin to thank all of the fire chiefs who have sent their people and equipment, I don’t know, but I’m going to use this venue to say to those fire chiefs from these 41 different places, thank you. I will find a way to pay you back for what you are delivering to me and my fire department today,” Brolund said.

Firefighters continue to face multiple structure fires that include streets full of burning houses.

The fire chief said he doesn’t know how many homes have been lost, but said they’ll start counting when they stop fighting fires, adding the fire will leave “a scar on the community”.

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Brolund, whose family is among the residents evacuated, described what he called “unprecedented firefighting tactics” where structural crews were battling three adjacent house fires, while B.C. Wildfire helicopters bucketed water onto the same fires from above. The cooperation is thought to have saved hundreds of other homes above those that have burned.

Another major save was the new $75 million Rose Valley Water Treatment Plant.

“It is a piece of critical infrastructure that is going to make an immense difference to our community when it gets turned on, and we were not going to let it burn down” Brolund remarked. “The fire burned over the treatment plant last night, but I’m happy to report that it was saved and undamaged. The treatment plant was saved because of actions of firefighters from the B.C. Wildfire Service and all of the structural fire departments that are deployed. Ten-thousand dollars worth of sprinklers and pumps that were put on that building over the past two days saved a 75 million dollar asset.”

Brolund told the news conference that the previous night’s battle got a boost from calmer and cooler conditions, but the fight continues to expand.

The McDougall Creek wildfire is still mapped at 10,500 hectares, but has likely grown.

Structural losses have been confirmed in the City of Kelowna by fire chief Travis Whiting, but he can’t share specific numbers until after homeowners have been informed.

“Firefighters have nevertheless been very successful in protecting homes from the Clifton-McKinley wildfire,” Whiting said.

In Lake Country, where the Clarke Creek fire is 174 hectares and out of control, Mayor Blair Ireland confirmed homes have been destroyed in the Okanagan Centre area, but he provided no numbers.

Officials also asked people to stay out of the way of fire crews, and boaters need to stay off Okanagan Lake as firefighting aircraft will be using it to pick up water.

The Central Okanagan fires are at the epicentre of B.C.’s fight to control hundreds of blazes, which have triggered a province-wide state of emergency.

(With files from the Canadian Press)