The Lower Similkameen Indian Band (LSIB) has issued a warning about fire preparedness after two wildfire incidents within three days.
The first incident, on March 18, started as a burn pile that got out of hand around 3:30 p.m.
"While personnel on site tried to extinguish the fire with hand tools, water, and dry-chemical extinguishers the fire continued toward an LSIB maintenance vehicle and a stand of dry vegetation and ignited both," the LSIB said.
The BC Wildfire Service and Keremeos Volunteer Fire Department responded, but the vehicle was a total loss.
Fire Chief Jordy Bosscha said a water tender and bush truck were deployed to the fire with six firefighters, who remained on scene for about two hours.
The fire had also gotten into an old cottonwood, and the band was still assessing on March 20 whether it would need to be fully removed or if there was an opportunity to save the bottom 10 feet of nesting habitat.
In the LSIB's March 21 press release, they stated that the initial fire dispatch was slowed due to incomplete information being provided to the regional dispatch and the provincial wildfire coordination centres.
"Immediate commander-to-commander communication between each agency and LSIB managed to get clear and proper real-time information to each service and a different response was then initiated," the LSIB said. "In this instance, the response of Keremeos Fire-Rescue was approved by the BC Wildfire Service on the basis that KFR could extinguish the vehicle AND the surrounding wildfire, while the BCWS crew would take approximately one hour to respond."
The release notes that BCWS crews aren't able to respond and fight vehicle fires due to not having the training and protective gear that would make it safe to do so, and that without BCWS authorization the Keremeos fire department couldn't respond due to being out of their coverage area and a wildfire situation.
The LSIB sincerely thanked the community members and employees who worked to fight the spreading fire until the fire department arrived.
Efforts to prevent further such incidents are being made, and the LSIB is encouraging anyone who is planning their own spring burns to make sure they have tools and a minimum of five gallons (19 L) of water available, and to keep any fire to a size appropriate for the resources available on-site.
Anyone who calls in a fire is also asked to make sure to stay on the line and provide call-back information to ensure that the response is appropriate and dispatched with the necessary speed.
The second incident, on March 20, was extinguished by a member of the LSIB's Guardian program.
Band members spotted the fire up a steep hillside on the west side of the Similkameen River on I.R. #4 (Narcisse) around 6 p.m.
The fire was approximately 35 meters by 20 meters in size, including a dead pine tree on the ground, before the Guardian was able to extinguish it.
Recent rain and newly-sprouted grass that was beginning to grow on the hillside were key in preventing the fire from taking off, the LSIB said.
The situation could have been much worse, as they pointed out there were heavy winds that night from a low-pressure system and that if the Guardian had not extinguished the fire, it could have gained momentum.
This second incident is not believed to be accidental, and the LSIB stated that while they encourage cultural burns being done, they must be overseen and prepared with the wisdom of an Elder or knowledge-keeper and done under safe conditions.
"Wisdom was not applied in any way to this incident," the LSIB said.
The band ended the release by pointing out the region remains under a drought and there have been years of built-up fire suppression without any cultural burns.
"To heal the tmxʷulaxʷ (lands), tmixʷ (all living things), our sqilxʷ (people), and to protect siwɬkʷ (water), we must do it together…with all of our members & families, all of our relations, and our neighbours," the LSIB said.
