Heat hard on firefighters

Aheat wave is blanketing the Okanagan this weekend, and that means firefighters are battling extreme heat as well as ongoing wildfires.

Okanagan complex fire camp incident commander Glen Burgess said the biggest concern right now isn’t the fires themselves, but the health of the firefighters who are working under the blazing sun, in steep terrain.

“It’s extremely difficult for firefighters, especially in Okanagan Park because it’s an old burn so there is no shade. They are out in this heat all day long, so that is a concern for us,” Burgess said.

“Firefighter fatigue and safety of our first responders are our biggest concerns.”

Temperatures this weekend, and into Monday and Tuesday, are expected to reach 32 C.

Burgess said they have come up with strategies to help firefighters stay safe in the heat.

“We are trying to manage their shifts — swapping crews in and out, starting earlier, maximizing early morning hours to do the most work, and giving them some free time to enjoy what the Okanagan has to offer.”

Friday was Day 10 of the Okanagan fires, and Burgess felt they have had major successes.

“On Thursday, we felt it was safe to rescind all evacuation alerts, because we felt there is no more fire growth and no threat to homes.”

Three fires in Okanagan Mountain Provincial Park are burning out of control but out of the way of homes, he said. Also, they don’t have any fuel to grow.

Burgess said the heat wave is not a concern for them.

“Hot, dry conditions tend to have stable winds. It’s when we have those erratic winds that we are concerned,” Burgess said.

Special to The Okanagan Weekend This photo of the Mount Conkle wildfire near Summerland shows ground crews doing a controlled burn, which they said was successful. The current heat wave is the biggest concern for the health of firefighters working in the Okanagan, says an official with the BC Wildfire Service.