Take lessons from the past

Dear Editor: Unfortunately, here we go again. Our summer days and evenings are spent watching plumes of smoke and trees explode after dark from our back patio, ever since the violent and mostly dry lightning storm started multiple fires throughout the Okanagan.

After the first fires erupted, I have been cruising every possible media for information and following the B.C. Wildfire site for regular updates. I have been paying particular attention to the resources allocated to each fire.

Initially, the Mount Eneas fire seemed to have fewer resources allocated than the Mount Conkle fire. Mount Conkle wasn’t an interface fire and hasn’t grown to any great degree while Mount Eneas has grown from one hectare to more than 1,000 hectares and is threatening both Summerland and Peachland, resulting in evacuations and multiple evacuation notices.

As we sat outside with friends on Wednesday evening and watched the strong gusts of wind create a fire storm visible from our patio, we all reflected on 2003 and how a small fire was allowed to get out of control and the disastrous results. Overnight, the Eneas fire exploded yet again resulting in evacuations. As we spent most of yesterday, close to home, I couldn’t help but notice the lack of air tankers support. There were lots of helicopters on site, but seemingly no tanker traffic.

During last summer’s Findlay Creek fire, we watched tanker after tanker fly by Rattlesnake Mountain, hitting that fire. So, it seemed odd that we haven’t seen more action on a fire interfacing to the north, east and south.

After Thursday night’s wind which was predicted and even more growth, I checked on B.C. Wildfire Friday to note that in resources, air tankers are being held in reserve in case they are needed.

It is easy to armchair quarterback in this case, but considering even more homes have been put on evacuation notice as of Friday, I would say they’re needed. I have nothing but admiration and thankfulness for the firefighters, pilots and heavy equipment operators on the front lines. However, it is the decisions of those who choose what resources to allocate and when to allocate them and those in government who provide them with the resources that has to be questioned.

Nobody predicted the lightning storm that started this whole mess, but it is summer in the Okanagan and we had hoped that lessons were learned from the past.

We can only hope those lesson didn’t go for naught. Andy Richards

Summerland