Come To Kelowna Guys Here We Go Again

[sirlandsalot]

BTW, 212 That ws my first post in a long time, I got tired of the pointless BS on this forum...some things never change, I am tapping out again too!

 

 

back to lurking.......the photo's

[transquebecniece]

I really hate to put this on the Kelowna/BC fire thread, but not sure where else to say it.

 

I don't have a P-C/touchy-feely/skewed-Liberal-view bone in my body, but I know that my buttin' heads with those who would see the climate/culture of this site change more to their liking has certainly contributed to the way you guys feel. :oops: Please don't go away, none of you! THIS IS YOUR FORUM!

 

I've overstayed my welcome (so gracious you all have been, I might add!) and have been aware of it for some time. Besides, anyone who needs to get a hold of me re: my very first post here—what brought me here in the first place nearly 5 years ago—always seem to find me, so it's all good!

 

I could never leave this wonderful place for good, but I am happy to just become an observer to help keep the peace so you can tend to biz as usual—in the manner you're most fond of!

 

This is YOUR forum, by gosh...you just TAKE IT BACK! :punk:

 

Hope things are settling down and gettin' back to normal for folks effected by the fires! Off to follow SirLance-a-lot...photos!

[Elvis]

If somebodys posts bother you then go their profile select options then select ignore user.

[Over-Talk]

Hi sirlandsalot,

Please don't tap-out just yet.

Just because some people don't agree with your opinions doesn't mean we don't want to hear them.

 

If you are a licenced pilot or engineer in the industry, we'd love to have you stay in the ring.

(I wish all the folks without such qualifications would be a little less prolific on the keyboard, and watch from the sidelines, or take their love for each other to PMs).

 

I heard that someone from BCFS made a comment (off the record, of course) about mistakes being made in the early stages of the big Terrace Mtn fire.

 

As in any fire we get to look back and see some of the errors made. Also as pilots directly on-scene, we see some things that might have been done differently if the Operations Boss was able to see what we saw. (personally, I love to work with an Ops Boss that rides around in a Jet-box all day......or lets Air Attack make some of the 'big calls').

Conversely, as pilots, we aren't in the ICP or Regional HQ, so we don't get to see the "big picture" that they are having to deal with logistically, politically and financially.

 

The priority was to fight the two fires near the houses. Aerial photos show how close they came to huge destruction of residential areas, especially in Glenrosa.

Kudos to Westbank Fire Dept/ BCFS on that job.

 

The Terrace Mtn fire was burning in a dangerous valley. The plan seemed to be to connect all the logging blocks on top of the valley with cat lines, and wait for the fire to come up. Thus the daily "blow-outs". And because of the rank 5 conditions the blow-outs were big, and little back-burning could be done. (I heard they were ready, but never able to back-burn).

Naturally there was concern it may have escaped down and out of the valley to Fintry, thus the accompanying evacuations (from an area with only one winding, narrow road to escape on).

 

Yes, there was lots of equipment available, especially with Alberta being so 'blue'.

But Alberta wasn't paying the bill. BCFS was. And we have already seen how tight BCFS are with their fire budget this year if houses aren't nearby.

 

I wasn't in Kelowna last week when the fires were ripping.

But, by coincidence, I was there on vacation in August 2003 when 240 homes were lost.

Even after all the fires I have seen over the years, that evening's horror was so sad to watch.

I wouldn't want that to happen to Kelowna or any other community again.

Homes (and all their enclosed memories) are the focus, not a bunch of beetle-infested logging blocks.

 

By the way, I'm sure 212wrench can speak for himself, but he didn't start this, you did.....and considering he says he lives somewhere near Kelowna I suspect he was glad to see the biggest fire was a long way outside the city limits.

The alternative would have been unthinkable.

 

Let's hear more opinions from you guys in the industry.

Regards, OT

 

 

[cap]

I've been waaiting to hear any comments whatsoever from one Mr. David Suzuki...........but NOTHING again. For years and years, he and other 'let's-hug-a-tree-people' did everything in their power to outlaw the BCFS from having controlled burns to rid the forest floors of all the pent-up and decaying fuels that were there and that they knew were dangerous and would be very hard to fight in a fire. Mr. Suzuki & Co. won that battle in spades and had all manner of folks climb onto their 'bandwagon' because they and everyone else knew that Mr. Suzuki loved trees and everything about nature. THEN the fires start burning at and around Kelowna, with people loosing homes and possesions to fire, BCFS and the Province taxed for resources of any kind. Our Mr. Suzuki was contacted for volunteers and their resources of any type...........and total SILENCE was the answer. News media attempted also to contact Mr. Suzuki..........and total SILENCE again. THAT was the last time that Kelowna had big fires that left devastation behind.

 

Now the SECOND time arrives for fires in and around Kelowna and sttill no comments from Mr. Suzuki, no volunteers from his esteemed organization of people who love trees and everything about them. No monies are offered, no hoses, pumps, etc., etc. Are we to assume that Mr. Suzuki doesn't love trees anymore then? Surely that can't be true. Are we to assume then that Mr. Suzuki now understands that he was wrong before and that BCFS was correct in wanting to rid the forest of the forest floor fuels? If so, surely Mr. Suzuki has enough backbone and class that he would stand up and say so to the media and maybe even commit resources to make a film on this subject and how valuable it is to do such burning. But NOTHING! Not a peep and not a comment from one normally very talkative personality.

 

That's okay Mr. Suzuki, I'll just keep waiting for you and when that face of yours isn't so red anymore, perhaps I'll get to see and/or hear you apologize to a great many people and simply state...."I'm sorry, I was wrong. I'm not always right and I'm man enough to admit it when I'm not correct".

[putz]

I've been waaiting to hear any comments whatsoever from one Mr. David Suzuki...........but NOTHING again. For years and years, he and other 'let's-hug-a-tree-people' did everything in their power to outlaw the BCFS from having controlled burns to rid the forest floors of all the pent-up and decaying fuels that were there and that they knew were dangerous and would be very hard to fight in a fire. Mr. Suzuki & Co. won that battle in spades and had all manner of folks climb onto their 'bandwagon' because they and everyone else knew that Mr. Suzuki loved trees and everything about nature. THEN the fires start burning at and around Kelowna, with people loosing homes and possesions to fire, BCFS and the Province taxed for resources of any kind. Our Mr. Suzuki was contacted for volunteers and their resources of any type...........and total SILENCE was the answer. News media attempted also to contact Mr. Suzuki..........and total SILENCE again. THAT was the last time that Kelowna had big fires that left devastation behind.

 

Now the SECOND time arrives for fires in and around Kelowna and sttill no comments from Mr. Suzuki, no volunteers from his esteemed organization of people who love trees and everything about them. No monies are offered, no hoses, pumps, etc., etc. Are we to assume that Mr. Suzuki doesn't love trees anymore then? Surely that can't be true. Are we to assume then that Mr. Suzuki now understands that he was wrong before and that BCFS was correct in wanting to rid the forest of the forest floor fuels? If so, surely Mr. Suzuki has enough backbone and class that he would stand up and say so to the media and maybe even commit resources to make a film on this subject and how valuable it is to do such burning. But NOTHING! Not a peep and not a comment from one normally very talkative personality.

 

That's okay Mr. Suzuki, I'll just keep waiting for you and when that face of yours isn't so red anymore, perhaps I'll get to see and/or hear you apologize to a great many people and simply state...."I'm sorry, I was wrong. I'm not always right and I'm man enough to admit it when I'm not correct".

 

[putz]

AMEN CAP WELL SAID!!!!!!!!!!!

[Plinko]

Well 212wrench if you want to start it? They had more than enough resources. I didn't say pull anything off the other fires and jeprodize anyone or anything. I just figured with the shear amount of resource available, they could of easily put more on. The only show in the country is Kelowna. Alberta is blue....do you know what that means...absolutly nothing going on. And If I am not mistaken, the day that fire blew up, came the evacuation notices for homes along the lake shore, so I guess those homes are different than the other homes? What ever 212. :down:

 

As someone with first hand knowledge of the happenings and time lines. The evacuation orders were issued as the threats became real. Glenrosa first...then Rose Valley and then once Terrace made a run for Lake Okanagan, the Fintry/Westside evacs. All of them were warranted with the Glenrosa/Westbank homes the most threatened on the 18th. Saturday was haywire...everyone was focused on the burning neighborhoods as would be expected. Rose Valley was not discovered till 30mins before grounding. Terrace Mtn was burning about 8 miles west of any homes. At the time that Glenrosa started the only mediums were BCFS contract machines (Rap and IA) More resources were added as required...granted it could have happened faster. But given the size, threats, tanker action and observed fire behaviour in Glenrosa... everyone was a little overwhelmed. A few more machines would have been well received for sure and were requested by some. There was a lot going on that day for everyone, the conditions for flying were horrible and I am sure that played some role in the slower than expected rolling of the calvary. The important thing is only three homes were lost...nobody was injured or worse and the fire was attacked very aggressively with Helis and Tankers in the days after Saturday.

 

OUT

P

 

 

[M1/2Wife]

I've been waaiting to hear any comments whatsoever from one Mr. David Suzuki...........but NOTHING again. For years and years, he and other 'let's-hug-a-tree-people' did everything in their power to outlaw the BCFS from having controlled burns to rid the forest floors of all the pent-up and decaying fuels that were there and that they knew were dangerous and would be very hard to fight in a fire. Mr. Suzuki & Co. won that battle in spades and had all manner of folks climb onto their 'bandwagon' because they and everyone else knew that Mr. Suzuki loved trees and everything about nature. THEN the fires start burning at and around Kelowna, with people loosing homes and possesions to fire, BCFS and the Province taxed for resources of any kind. Our Mr. Suzuki was contacted for volunteers and their resources of any type...........and total SILENCE was the answer. News media attempted also to contact Mr. Suzuki..........and total SILENCE again. THAT was the last time that Kelowna had big fires that left devastation behind.

 

Now the SECOND time arrives for fires in and around Kelowna and sttill no comments from Mr. Suzuki, no volunteers from his esteemed organization of people who love trees and everything about them. No monies are offered, no hoses, pumps, etc., etc. Are we to assume that Mr. Suzuki doesn't love trees anymore then? Surely that can't be true. Are we to assume then that Mr. Suzuki now understands that he was wrong before and that BCFS was correct in wanting to rid the forest of the forest floor fuels? If so, surely Mr. Suzuki has enough backbone and class that he would stand up and say so to the media and maybe even commit resources to make a film on this subject and how valuable it is to do such burning. But NOTHING! Not a peep and not a comment from one normally very talkative personality.

 

That's okay Mr. Suzuki, I'll just keep waiting for you and when that face of yours isn't so red anymore, perhaps I'll get to see and/or hear you apologize to a great many people and simply state...."I'm sorry, I was wrong. I'm not always right and I'm man enough to admit it when I'm not correct".

 

C'mon Cap, go easy on the fella, he's making an effort, watched him get into his Toyota Prius when picking up the hubby from a crew change flight once.

 

Great job by all on the Glenrosa fire, my family, along with many others I'm sure, says a big thank you for an awesome most appreciated effort.

 

[CJM91]

...

outlaw the BCFS from having controlled burns to rid the forest floors of all the pent-up and decaying fuels

...

I don't recall the BCFS ever being keen on controlled burns although I think some wildlife habitat folks have tried over the years with limited success. I thought that the BCFS was permanently in bed with Smokey The Bear but maybe they've seen the light.

 

Did they campaign for controlled burns around Kelowna? I think that the Filmon Report called for this but the BC Gov't has been dragging their feet.

 

A recent news report:

 

"Tom Hobby, a forest economist, said the interior of British Columbia will soon face catastrophic forest fires, as early as this summer, because critical prevention work promised by the government has not been done.

 

Forest fire fuel in the form of shrubs, branches and even pine-beetle infected trees needs to be cleared from wide swaths of the forest floor, estimated at 1.7 million hectares.

 

After the fires in 2003 that ripped through large forests in Kelowna and parts of the Okanagan Valley, the government promised to clean up the forest floors. Hobby says some of the crucial prevention work has been initiated, but it's not nearly enough to lower the risk in this forest fire season.

 

Read more:" (plus 91 comments!)

 

http://www.cbc.ca/canada/british-columbia/...-fire-risk.html

 

Cheers . . . . .