Editor;
The summer has passed. The great curtains of smoke have disappeared also. Perhaps they never were there?
Its many, many years since I fought forest fires, and all my firefighting experience was on the Queen Charlotte Isle – Haida Gwaii. The soggy, wet islands in w3hich putting out a forest fire was relatively easy – not always, but most of the time. So, a one can see I’m the last person on the earth qualified to comment on fire fighting techniques. The crap it is done! Anyway, in my day, firefighting was an adventure. We were young, poorly paid, and really didn’t care. As we dragged the canvas hoses through the trees and muskeg. Fired up the Wajax pumps - it was ‘fun’ and since most of the fires moved slowly, we were in little danger. We slept in the hay barn at night, eating our meals from cans and had a great time. Sorry when it was over.
But, as one can again see, I’m no expert on the art of firefighting.
Not so many other people? Bring up the subject of the burning woods and everyone has an opinion. Oh, they don’t fight fires properly. They are doing it all wrong!
Forget about the fact that the earth is a warmer place than it was ‘in my day.’ Global warming denial walks hand-in-hand, charges of fire fighting incompetency. Throw some COVID conspiracy in with all of this but for the moment that is another story.
Also, remember with the Campbell-Clark government ruled the land. During a time when fire licked at the edges of Clearwater there was virtually no one at the forestry buildings?
Christy Clark, in order to keep her ‘low taxes’ pledge had stripped the forestry section of most of its personnel?
The smoke is gone, the fires if not out are burning low, but they will be back!
Will we be ready?
Dennis Peacock