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Industrial » Commercial _| Installation + Maintenance Allen Walker Story & photos by: Karen Kerkhoff Reporter on a trip into the heart of firefighting activity. Last week Castlegar Sun reporter Karen Kerkhoff had the opportunity to tour the Arrow Forest District office as well as fly by helicopter to a base camp situated near a forest fire at Koch Creek. This two part feature will take you, our readers, ost eyes in the western half of the continent have been glued to television sets and news- papers as forest fires rage in British i State—mine hard-hitting interviews of those aff ably captured the undivided and the nation: who had the ity to view firsthand the fascination for we who are left unscathed by their tragedy. Television cameras pan to sooty, perspiring firefighters who place their lives on the line daily. The high drama has undeni- ion of the entire province As a reporter from a small town newspaper, I couldn’t help feeling slightly envious of reporters from other, larger, media PP by Mother Nature. I desperately wanted to be there beside them Resource Officer of Protection, Skip W: points out terrain and “hot spots” in the Arrow Forest District. It’s much more than water bombers flying noisily overhead and people running around ring hardhats putting out fires with hoses. With gradual ition, I realized that the excite- ment I had noticed when first stepping into the office was for. the Arrow Forest District, Evans bid me a friendly good- bye. Walsh's office was a testament to the extreme fire danger the district is undergoing. On his wall hung a board, detailing the chain of command as well as who was responsible for what. Walsh explained the board was updated daily to meet the individual requirements that each day and fire would bring. Agr and und. ding of the itude of magn the operation began to emerge in me. As I was drawn into the of ing forest fires I began to suspect that I was soon going to be knee deep in the adventure of my life. Beckoning me into the command room and amidst. the of di speaking by radio to other personnel in the district, Walsh sat down at a computer known as the so I too could savor the exci adrenalin emanating from others. But aiken set in. Afterall, this is Castlegar, not Vancouver. But last week I had another, though more I, reason for ng to find out what firefighting was all about—my only child informed me he would be fighting fires along with the thousands of other dedicated individ- uals across the province. His proudly given announcement sent a shiv- ering tingle of fear up my spine as I remem- bered the recent tragedy in the U.S. in which several seasoned firefighters lost their lives. But what could I do? At age 23 he’s not a baby, and I’m not his keeper—we've long since moved away from those constricting roles. To his chagrin, and my surprise, I didn’t magically stop being a mother the moment he packed his belongings and flew the nest. And 80, when I was invited by local forestry offi- cials to witness their firefighting operations, I jumped at the chance. It was a golden opportu- nity which would serve two purposes; I would be able to join the select few who would wit- ness firsthand the taming of a voracious fire while at the same time sooth my motherly fears that my son was in good and capable hands. Meeting Arrow Forest District Informa- tions Officer Ted Evans was the cul BATTL in the dn d Fire M: System. With a touch of his finger Walsh performed computer magic. In the blink of an eye a color monitor displayed the latest in technology and my of logy in Cana- da, specifically Castlegar, disappeared. In front of me, in muki-color, the screen led valuable i ion about each fire district in B.C.. From ease of ignition, to ini- tial spread index and drought code, the system supplice information which, until the emer- gence of sophisti dnt readily be available. Supplied by a central information center in Victoria, the system is a valued firefighting tool. But what was most impressive was the menu which allowed personnel to see light- ning strikes as they occurred as well as rating, 24 hours—the most recent appearing as red dots. As we watched the screen we could actu- ally track the storm coming from the south- west while listening to calls coming in about fires caused by those strikes. To say it was ive would be an understatement. ‘When a fire is spotted, Walsh said an Initial Attack crew, (LA.) is sent out to contain the fledglin fire. The imp of several informative phone calls we had shared. He’s the person responsible for liais- ing with the public and the media. I was final- ly able to put a face to the voice I was now beginning to 4 began to suspect that | was soon going to be knee deep in the adventure of my life.’ — KAREN KERKHOFF Reporter recognize: Bringing me into the board room he deftly ding forest fires in the district and ied by wide, di ing smiles. most of them.” the fire, could have a direct influence on the safety of wildlife, vegetation, and any unforte- nate people who might live in its path. “The Initial Attack crew is the key. They attend spot fires and are usually able to put out showed me an aerial map of the Arrow Forest District. Point- The courtesy and professionalism exhibited by personnel ing out mountainous terrain, Evans explained that the rugged- _ was, without a doubt, evident as we toured each department. It ness of some sections of the district, make firefighting difficult was also app that all 55 employees had a goal— ith ipplies ded to ‘ and dang Ss said Evans, b of the impos- k and prof lism under undeniable stress. It shelves vaguely resembled old mother Hubbard’s cupboard duc SERVICE After viewing the command room Walsh took me outside to 2313 - 6 Avenue Castlegar, B.C. VIN 2W1 Phone 365-2323 VISIT OUR SHOWROOM Canac of Castlegar 3124 Waidie Avenue, Robson, B.C. 365-0762 DESIGN CENTRE Plumbing & Heating Showrecom Controls and Refrigeration Ltd. ° Heating * Air Co i oP . ding HVAC ti © 24 Hour Emergency Service * DESIGN * INSTALLATION * SERVICE AIR CONDITIONING & MECHANICAL SYSTEMS LTD. © PLUMBING « HEATING ¢ GAS AITTING * SHEET METAL © AIR CONDITIONING © COMMERCIAL REFRIGERATION Phone 365-2485 « Fax 365-7626 613 - 13th Sveet, Units 1 & 2, Castiegar, BC ee ee ee ae =. 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But what possesses a person to consistently put them- selves at risk while fighting | fires? The thought that some- one might lly enjoy backbreaking, and explained how firefighting lures some people to the line. “Some really enjoy the physical aspect of it as well as the ability to be working outdoors. Besides that, there is some excitement involved.” I soon began to realize that the general public's view of ing, including mine, was sadly lacking. Evans then proceeded to give me the “grand tour” of the district office. Introducing me to many people, some of whose names now elude me, he went from department to dep plaining the function and purpose of each. Without exception, hands were offered for handshakes But fire preparedness, said Evans, is much more than *‘ ing terrain, there is little the forest service can do to extinguish “Safety becomes the first thing,” Evans said with ff “We have to di and ize a large of fF hot, gruelling labor boggles the mind. But Evans easily 2 didn’t take long to realize that there is much more to firefight- ing than what meets the eye. to the onslaught of recent fires and the quick consumption of the storage area I began to appreciate the immense amount of people and supplies needed to provide fire- fighters with the necessities needed to combat a fire. After touring the storage area, Walsh introduced me to firefighters outfitted in orange. Even without the orange jumpsuits, I could tell they were firefighters. The proud way they held their heads and the obvious camaraderie they shared, screamed self-assurance. Some were check- ds the infant fires. He P was dary to that of com- batting fires—we might have to wait awhile before we could fly out. That was fine by me. I meeded time to we meet the pilot at the airport? You bet! Racing towards the truck, my heart pounding a rapid staccato of appre- hension, the event I had been both dreading and looking forward to was about to occur. Part 2 of ‘Battle in the Bush’ will appear in the August 17 edition of The Castlegar Sun. Reporter Karen Kerkhoff Two Ontario firefighters make use of idle time whi le wait- continues her adventure when she takes flight on an A Star ing for a fire call by checking and double checking essential helicopser to the base camp near Koch Creek. firefighting equipment.