Proactive planning helped Kamloops Fire Rescue get the jump on Monday night fires: chief

KAMLOOPS — Nearly 150 lightning strikes were recorded on Monday (July 22) night in the Kamloops area, including two that sparked fires visible from inside city limits.

Kamloops Fire Rescue (KFR) crews were able to respond quickly to blazes that sparked in the Rose Hill and Peterson Creek areas, thanks in part to proactive planning, according to KFR chief Ken Uzeloc.

KFR was aware of the potentially devastating forecast that called for lightning in the parched Kamloops area.

“We had additional resources in place to be able to attack the fires right away when they came in,” Uzeloc said, noting calls to inform KFR of fire starts began to come furiously at about 9:30 p.m. on Monday.

“It’s critical, right? The sooner we can get crews on scene of these fires and actioning them, the better chance we have of containing them before they start to spread.”

Eight personnel, two bush trucks and one water tender responded to each fire, Uzeloc said.

Image Credit: CFJC Today / Kent Simmonds

The Peterson Creek blaze was declared out at about 12:30 a.m. on Tuesday and crew members left that scene to join the fight in Rose Hill, remaining there until about 5:30 a.m. on Tuesday.

Crews accessed the Peterson Creek area fire – burning near a communications tower – via Running Horse Ranch Road.

KFR used a pipeline road to access the Rose Hill area fire – burning just south of a mobile home park – about 500 to 600 metres west of Rose Hill Road.

“Hauling hose lines and dragging them through bush to get access to the fire, it’s hard work,” Uzeloc said, noting crews were lucky to have winds blowing fires away from structures.

Image Credit: CFJC Today / Kent Simmonds

KFR will be intently monitoring weather in the coming days, with help from Environment Canada, and co-ordinating on calls with the BC Wildfire Service and the City of Kamloops Emergency Operations Centre.

“Yeah, we had some rain this year, which is great, but with two weeks of extreme heat and wind, that rain is gone. All that moisture is gone,” Uzeloc said. “We are tinder dry again, just as were last year.”

Uzeloc urges residents to report fire starts in a timely manner.

“If you think you see a fire, phone it in,” he said. “Get us moving quickly.”

Image Credit: CFJC Today / Kent Simmonds