scott craven
Well-Known Member
Makes so much sense !
Island Fires
- Thread starter IronNoggin
- Start date
kaelc
Well-Known Member
It’s triage, send a 3 person initial attack crew to every fire threatening homes/businesses first, on the scene it is their call to call in unit crew 20ish? or a second crew of 3 or air support. You do need to keep crews in reserve for fires that threaten communities, individual homes and business first. With the wind and dry conditions and one picture of the fire behaviour and terrain, I’ve looked at, 23 guys and a helicopter with a regular Bambi bucket couldn’t do anything once the crowning was happening. Been a few decades since my training but wind/fuel/hot conditions seem impossible to beat no matter the manpower and AirPower. Now that it’s cooled down and they have hopefully knocked down the major behaviour it is how quickly they can cool everything down, and watch for hot spots that spring up, roots will be burning for weeks.
South Africans are happy to be seeing BC Union pay rates!
M1SF1T
Active Member
A buddy of mine used to fly and wrench on the Mars before Coulson bought Flying Tankers.
The dispatch reliability and the amount of maintenance hours needed to keep those things flying is horrible, and that was 20+ years ago... It isn't what you want to rely on for your program.
I'm not sure why BC doesn't do a public/private partnership with Viking (now De Havilland Canada) and Conair - BC companies - to build and operate a fleet of new CL-415s - or maybe be the launch customer for the proposed DHC-515. Turbine reliability and efficiency, quick turns, capable, local... they could hire them out in other jurisdictions when not in use in BC.
The dispatch reliability and the amount of maintenance hours needed to keep those things flying is horrible, and that was 20+ years ago... It isn't what you want to rely on for your program.
I'm not sure why BC doesn't do a public/private partnership with Viking (now De Havilland Canada) and Conair - BC companies - to build and operate a fleet of new CL-415s - or maybe be the launch customer for the proposed DHC-515. Turbine reliability and efficiency, quick turns, capable, local... they could hire them out in other jurisdictions when not in use in BC.
dmurph
Well-Known Member
This fire was hit with 2 crews and 2 helicopters right away. I think the over dry conditions and wind kicked it off the cliff rock bluffs during the night and that’s when it got out of control. The conditions are similar to end of August dry and the fire is/was burning 3 feet down. The tumbler ridge fire was happening and was losing structure out buildings so resources get dictated depending. Also many resources are away out of province many off the heavy lift heli are there on contract and they get locked in for months at a time.
Aces
Well-Known Member
They don't have the manpower
dmurph
Well-Known Member
The smaller bombers were able get in tight and get lots of cycling in which can often be more efficient and effective. Same with some of the smaller heli vs say the crane. I’ve heard the crane rotor wash can also flare up as much flame as it’s putting out with water. Lots of interesting variables in the decision making. We can all say they should’ve but what should be done is proper education. Leaving a camp fire up there to burn is just ignorant and irresponsible stupidity.
M1SF1T
Active Member
Agree. Campers, backcountry users, tourists, and more... I can't believe how many people I see smoking and tossing lit cigs, whether driving or walking or standing around hacking a butt. We need more responsibility taken for careless behaviour.
I also believe some of these fires are straight up intentional. From trash of society individuals not giving a **** to radical environmentalists thinking they're sending a message... There are at least a couple from along those lines.
Rain City
Crew Member
It's the mushroom pickers.
IronNoggin
Well-Known Member
Don't know where you are getting your intel, but that is not what the Regional District, the local Fire Department, and Mosaic are saying...
IronNoggin
Well-Known Member
kaelc
Well-Known Member
Radical environmentalist? Let’s save the misinformation for twitter.
IronNoggin
Well-Known Member
When travelling through Youbou and highway 18 there are elk on the roads.
At night in Youbou they just stand on the roads.
Please go slow. Watch for the elk.
At night in Youbou they just stand on the roads.
Please go slow. Watch for the elk.
M1SF1T
Active Member
I've been told that she's an "activist":
A 28-year-old woman has been arrested for allegedly setting two fires in the woods near Sooke, B.C.
"Fire crews reported the incident to RCMP, who “determined that the fires were intentionally set.”
Investigators identified a suspect and arrested a 28-year-old woman of no fixed address on suspicion of arson."
Woman arrested for ‘intentionally’ setting fires in woods near Sooke, B.C.: police - BC | Globalnews.ca
Firefighters were called to douse an eight-foot by eight-foot brush fire as well as a tree that was consumed by flames reaching 25 feet in height in the forest near Sooke, Tuesday.
www.google.com
You hit the nail on the head, hit them early and hard with everything available , once a fire is allowed to grow it becomes unmanageable. Unfortunately over the course of the last few years there appears to be too much politics involved. How can a company like Coulson be good enough to fight fire for the rest of Canada and the world for that matter but not it’s home province? I’m not referring to the Martin mars their time is done.
Unreel
Well-Known Member
Did she tell you? or just more hearsay.. Sounds like the homeless addicts and mentally unstable that roam the streets around nanaimo that have been setting fires for months on end now trying to burn down buildings and parks.I've been told that she's an "activist":
A 28-year-old woman has been arrested for allegedly setting two fires in the woods near Sooke, B.C.
"Fire crews reported the incident to RCMP, who “determined that the fires were intentionally set.”
Investigators identified a suspect and arrested a 28-year-old woman of no fixed address on suspicion of arson."
Woman arrested for ‘intentionally’ setting fires in woods near Sooke, B.C.: police - BC | Globalnews.ca
Firefighters were called to douse an eight-foot by eight-foot brush fire as well as a tree that was consumed by flames reaching 25 feet in height in the forest near Sooke, Tuesday.
I have been advocating for the past several years that a fleet of 40 or so Canadair 215/515 is what is required. the Mars bombers were good in their day but the canadair aircraft are reasonably quick and nimble.Using helicopters with buckets once a fire gets going is like urinating on a campfire. Politics aside the cost of a fleet may be high but consider this in the summer we use them, in the winter transport them to Australia or California or whatever jurisdiction needs them with a price.I spent my early years in aviation in northern Ontario flying fire patrols, Ontario in those days had the program wired, patrol looking for fires, one central command centre to report the fire and then send out the bombers to fight it.In those days the bombers were an assortment of world war 2 aircraft, each type requiring specific skills to operate. With a fleet of one type aircraft it is a lot easier to train pilots on the type, easier to set standard operating procedures, and maintaining one fleet type logistically becomes much easier
triplenickel
Well-Known Member
There's also large amounts of production shut in right now due to the fires.
Old Fisher
Active Member
Oil and gas companies don’t target BC customers any differently than customers elsewhere. But it’s so easy to blame them. Oil is sold on global markets for prices that don’t differ in BC vs Alberta. If you’re looking to fix blame……. BC doesn’t have many refineries (and nobody wants them). People in BC fight tooth and nail against pipelines which deliver oil and gasoline from places where there are refineries. So we pay a premium to get gasoline from elsewhere. Much of the island’s gasoline comes from Washington. Add to that the fact that BC continues to elect governments that love to add fuel taxes and carbon taxes to the price you pay for gasoline. Compare Alberta and BC in this regard. But no, it’s the evil oil companies who like to stick it to everyone in BC.
IronNoggin
Well-Known Member
Don't know the stage of the fire, but there is NO smoke visible from town any more, and the same on the other side.
Looks promising...
Cheers
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