A row of shiny fire trucks lines the fields in front of the Williams Lake curling rink. Oyster Bay, New Westminster, Salt Spring Island and, behind them all, a trailer with the Surrey Fire Service logo.
The Surrey crew has been here for almost a month, said assistant fire chief Chris Keon.
“We were sent to Williams Lake to assist the Williams Lake Fire Department in protecting the town against wildfire threats,” Keon said Wednesday afternoon. “Since then, the threat has subsided a bit.”
Williams Lake itself was under evacuation order for two weeks in July. The order was downgraded to an alert on July 27 but the air remains filled with smoke and the city smells like a particularly pungent campfire.

Surrey Fire Service assistant fire chief Chris Keon speaks with Williams Lake resident Woody Winkelmann about the firefighting efforts. (Katya Slepian/Black Press) |
On a good day, you can see the surrounding mountains. On a bad one, it’s just all one big hazy blur.
Williams Lake remains surrounded by aggressive wildfires; as of mid-week, the Wildwood fire sat at 12,684 hectares and the White Lake fire at 13,192 hectares. Smaller fires of several thousand hectares, like the Prouton Lake fire 40 kilometres northeast of the city, still threaten dozens of homes in the Cariboo.
READ: Evacuation order lifted for Williams Lake
Although the fires have subsided somewhat, officials warn that they could flare up again at any moment. Dozens of homes in and around town have loaded cargo trailers sitting in the yards, ready to evacuate again.
The Surrey fire crew, comprising Keon and Geoff McIntyre, is manning the mobile command unit: basically, a mini fire hall on wheels that they can hitch onto a semi.

The mobile command unit set up at the Williams Lake curling rink. (Katya Slepian/Black Press) |
“We can hook it up and move it at a moment’s notice, if it is threatened, and set it up elsewhere,” Keon said, noting it’s stocked with satellite phones and radio communications tools – key tools out in rural interior B.C., where leaving town can also mean leaving cell range.
“We’ve used it primarily for tracking our crews and for filling out time-sheets and different documentation.”
But they, and the rest of the fire departments – from Delta to Langley to Abbotsford – didn’t come up to Williams Lake to fill out paperwork.
RELATED: Delta sending staff and first responders to help fight B.C. wildfires
They run the structural protection units brought in from Ontario last month to help wet down the homes near the wildfires.
“The fire threat was coming from a place called Soda Creek Road,” said Keon. “So from the start we’ve been out there helping the sprinkler units deploy the (apparatus) and put them around different homes that are up that road.”

Firefighters set up sprinkler protection units in the Cariboo. (Angie Mindus photo) |
The structural protection teams, Keon said, are run through the Office of the Fire Commissioner, who will deploy them across B.C. as needed. These, however, are from Ontario, sent to help with B.C.’s second worst wildfire season in recorded history.
RELATED: Wildfire evacuee was ‘treated like royalty’
They didn’t get to all the homes; in 150 Mile House, just outside of Williams Lake, police tape surrounds a burned-out car and what looks like lawn chair remnants sitting in a charred clearing.

A burnt out car and leftover furniture litter a fire-ravaged lot in 150 Mile House. (Katya Slepian/Black Press) |
But for now, it’s back home for at least the Surrey duo. Keon and McIntyre are leaving as of today (Thursday).
“The Wildwood fires fell short and didn’t threaten the city in the way they thought they might,” said Keon. “The rest of the [firefighting] task force is demobilizing in the next couple of days.”
Just Posted

Shares in heritage community garden program go on sale
The Grist Mill and Gardens in Keremeos is bringing back its Pantry Share for 2021

Prepare for subzero weekend in South Okanagan
Expect some snow to start falling Saturday night and into Sunday

Arrest made in indecent acts near Penticton schools
A 32-year-old man was arrested and released on strict conditions, say police

Okanagan high target for spring flooding
Higher snowpack and mild winter precipitation levels raise concerns for Canada’s insurance industry

79 new COVID-19 cases, two deaths reported in Interior Health
Both of Friday’s deaths were both recorded at long-term care homes

PHOTOS: Bernie Sanders visits B.C. landmarks through the magic of photo editing
Residents jump on viral trend of photoshopping U.S. senator into images

Enderby farmers caught between coyotes and bylaw tickets
The Smith family is stuck in a Catch-22 between protecting their livestock and incurring noise complaints

Another COVID-19 exposure confirmed at Kelowna school
Interior Health confirmed an exposure at Black Mountain Elementary School Saturday

‘Unexpected and heartwarming’: Okanagan community supports paramedics
Cards, discounts, treats, more given to Lake Country paramedics in sign of support

Vintage military aircraft moving from Chilliwack to new home at B.C. Aviation Museum
The challenging move to Vancouver Island will be documented by Discovery Channel film crews

North Okanagan bird count shows decrease in swan and eagle numbers
Trumpeter swans were down 61 per cent from last year’s count; eagles down 14 per cent

Okanagan Indian Band seeks nominations for upcoming election
A new OKIB chief and council will be elected March 30, 2021

Lake Country firefighters help deliver baby boy
Firefighters from the Winfield hall assisted with the birth of a healthy newborn Thursday morning

VIDEO: Security cameras capture ‘just one more assault’ near B.C. high school
Third high-school related assault captured by Chilliwack resident’s cameras since beginning of 2021