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We're on fire again here in BC so much so for the first time since 2003 (when my daughter got cause in a huge evacuation due to forest fire) a State of Emergency has been declared.
We don't have any huge forest fires burning where I'm at but the interior of the Province has now seen several cities (our size cities) evacuated and hundreds have their homes being burned down. Horses and other farm animals have been let loose and emergencies are happening everywhere.
Our own Fire Departments have sent fire fighting vehicles and equipment from HERE (not too sure I'm terribly comfortable with this decision cause IF a fire breaks out here we're done for) to there which entails a FERRY trip plus hours of driving to the interior. Not wanting to sound selfish but IF a fire happens here it'll take our equipment a good 8 hours + to get back.
Summer has arrived, no rain and the fires are blazing One of the most serious issues the people there face is the lack of gas for their vehicles.
So far my immediate area is fire and smoke free. I very much appreciate the smoke free air as the smallest amount of smoke affects my ability to breathe.
Lots of families are being evacuated and displaced. Am not sure what the immediate plan is for them. Hopefully the fires will be contained quickly which means everybody can return home and to normal asap.
We've had 11 Hydro (our electric company) trucks and workers leave for the interior for probably 3+ weeks so as to help get the grid back and electricity up and going again.
A complete fire ban was announced a few weeks back and while this back yard had a fire pit when I moved in I had it taken out. Granted I filled it with soil initially and tried to grow herbs in it but that didn't take too well (constantly dried out fast) so it is now gone.
I live in FEAR that some SMOKER is going to throw a smoldering cigarette butt out the window of their car and start a major blaze. Every year I drive by big U shaped burned out areas along the side of the roads where small fires have taken hold. ONE SPARK and we can all go up.
This is the first time too that MOST of our own fire fighting gear and Hydro trucks have left to go elsewhere. I know the need is definitely there but it can't help but make ME feel a bit vulnerable that IF something happens here we now do not have the capability of doing anything to stop it.
It is almost crazy making here. We get more rainfall during the winter than we can cope with yet there is absolutely NO infrastructure to retain any of this so every summer we go through drought! Water restrictions come on April/May and stay in place 'til end of September - YET - the Powers that be make no moves to try and capture any of the rain when it freely falls from the sky for half a year.
I don't think they'd be that difficult to make and we get LOTS of rain. LOTS and is BUCKETS daily yet from almost the first day of summer we dry up and within a couple weeks our fire hazard rating goes super high. Why our City Council hasn't tried to address this matter is beyond me.
We're getting drier by the day here. Couple years back I remember the fire(s) being close and the air quality going down and having a hard time breathing myself cause of the smoke. The biggest fear is some (ahem) IDIOT throwing a burning cigarette butt down on the ground.
Update:
BC Wildfires: More than 36,000 people displaced, cost at $81M
The province estimates between 36,000 and 37,000 people have been forced out of their homes due to wildfires in BC, said Emergency Management Minister Todd Stone Sunday.
As of Sunday, BC Wildfire Services says there are 162 fires burning throughout the province. 16 new fires sparked Saturday.
Officials say so far, the cost of fighting the wildfires is estimated at $81-million.
BC’s Chief Fire Information officer Kevin Skrepnek says things won’t likely get much better, anytime soon.
” It’s only mid July and forecast outlook is dry and hot,” said Skrepnek “with the sizes of the fires, it’s fair to say we would need significant rainfall to change the situation.”
So far, more than 5,000 households, or approximately 17,000 people, have registered for assistance through the Canadian Red Cross.
BC RCMP also said Sunday, approximately 500 RCMP officers are on the grounds to ensure safety and law enforcement in the various affected communities. This includes officers from Alberta and Saskatchewan.
To date, there have been 641 wildfires and total of 131,000 hectares have been burned.
This is a BAMBI BUCKET and essentially here the Fireman's BEST FRIEND and was designed here in BC. It is invaluable in putting out fires.
This UTube video clip is NOT referring to what is happening here right now but is still interesting.
HERE we're getting a light shower now and hopefully it is sufficient to cool off the threat of FIRE. We've had a few break out fires here and there but nothing like the Interior of the Province is getting.
Hate to think I'm saying this (especially since we had record breaking rain and snow this past winter and spring) but I hope it just POURS (for a day) and soaks everything down!!
One night outside a small town, a fire started inside the local chemical plant. In the blink of an eye, it exploded into massive flames. The alarm went out to all fire departments for miles around....
Well I'm hot and it seems lots of the Island is on Fire. I am breathing really smoky air now and everything outside is a dull grey. Can't see the sun due to this grey haze.
I was up the north end of...
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I took these photos driving up the Island Hwy aka Island Parkway aka NEW Island Hwy (vs OLD Island Hwy - we never seemed to have named this New Highway) but we do have FOUR Lanes now! Two going in...
Sadly, tragically in the downtown historic center of our city a huge fire broke out in a closed building. This was about 6:30pm - 7pm-ish. It is 11:15pm...
There is a significant anniversary today being exactly 350 years to the day since The Great Fire of London started in the bakery of Thomas Farriner, in Pudding Lane, It was not declared out and under...
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Wow! just looked at your link Grandad, what a waste to go up in smoke when I think of the folk with their skills making these models :o
