Fire From The Sky Used To Merge Two Fires For Control

Jul 23, 2018 | 8:41 AM

Picture – BC Wildfire Service

The Mt Eneas fire near Peachland is now about 1550 hectares.

The BC Wildfire Service merged the Munro Lake Forest Service Road fire with the Mt Eneas fire to get better control and improve safety for firefighters.

” And so by doing that we can have an increased level of control. I’m not going to say we’re always a hundred per cent in control but it means it’s being done under our terms which allows for more likelihood of success.”

Incident commander Glen Burgess says they had to burn the fuel between the two fires with a controlled ignition.

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“This was done with aerial ignition, so a helicopter dropping the equivalent of ping pong balls filled with chemicals that ignite shortly after hitting the ground. We can control fire intensity with that by manipulating how quickly the balls come out.”

A line of retardant was dropped around the fire to ensure guard control.

They did a test ignition first to ensure everything would work.

It did , and the ball drop began.

“As we got near the bottom, we discontinued the aerial ignition. That point we bring ground crews in then light it with hand-held ignition devices. then that completes the, basically it’s a square and that squares about 150 hectares.”

That increased the size of the Mt Eneas fire to 1550 hectares and made it easier to fight.

He doesn’t expect it to grow.

Meanwhile, Evacuation Alerts remained in effect overnight for 698 properties in the Central Okanagan Regional District in the vicinity of the fire.

In the Central Okanagan, the following addresses remain on Evacuation Alert:
“7100 – 7210 Brent Road
“7212 – 7280 Highway 97 South
“Finlay Creek Cabins

All alerts and orders remain rescinded for the Goode’s Creek Wildfire south of Kelowna and the Law Creek Wildfire south of West Kelowna.

BC Wildfire says no significant growth had occurred on either of these fires by mid-Sunday afternoon.

Within the rural Regional District of Okanagan Similkameen, 5 properties remain on Evacuation Order and 92 properties remain under Evacuation Alert due to the Mount Eneas wildfire.

Within the District of Summerland, 30 properties remain on Evacuation Order in the northern portion of Garnet Valley.

An additional 108 properties remain on Evacuation Alert in the Garnet Valley area and along Bridgeman Road.

by Tom Mark