Fire Season In Canada

[PIC]

Looking at ciffc's daily fire report (http://www.ciffc.ca/firewire/today-e.htm), things look like they are perking up, finally. Where is everyone working? Any good stories to tell?

[twinstar_ca]

Lightning strikes cause rash of northern fires

Last Updated Jul 12 2005 05:53 PM CDT

CBC News

More than 100 forest fires are burning in tinder-dry northern Saskatchewan.

 

<b>A fire burns near Prince Albert in 2002</b><br><i>CBC file photo</i>

 

A fire burns near Prince Albert in 2002

CBC file photo

According to Steve Roberts, the province's executive director of fire management and forest protection, the weather is the problem.

 

While southern Saskatchewan has received a lot of rain this summer, that has not been the case in the north.

 

"Lightning is playing a key role," he said. "We get some lightning activity almost each evening, and it's based on that hot, dry weather followed by the nice lakes providing moisture."

 

More than 370 people are fighting the forest fires with the assistance of about 30 aircraft.

 

Roberts says no communities are yet threatened by the fires. But smoke has been drifting into places such as South End, Brabant, and Sandy Bay.

 

Roberts said campers and people with cabins up north have to take precautions.

 

"Make sure you're protected from fire and that you're not going to be a cause of wildfire," he said.

 

While southern Saskatchewan has had a wet spring and early summer, the north hasn't seen comparable rain. More warm, dry temperatures are in the forecast.

 

 

anyone up here working these???

[Rotorhead139]

We shipped out 3 Astars to Quebec this morning, all are hired on.................

[BAH]

Lot of lightning, lots of starts around Ft nelson today. Over 2000 strikes on the lighning map at the fire center. Tasmans 212 and 407 hired in Ont. :up:

[T-rex]

Seems there is alot going on for hiring, but not too many campain fires yet, I guess were all getting better at the IA thing!!

[JLMG]

Got here to Val-d'Or, QC. Lots of fires, most of them out of control. At least 7 AS350s + 3 CL415s, fire fighters from QC, BC and the US, still the flames are raging. I've heard it is even worst around the James Bay and also in the Lower North Shore of QC...

[GoldMember]

Glad to hear that it's burning somewhere... another rainy, crappy, windy day here in YZY. Fer chrisakes I was sitting by a repeater yesterday at 6,000 and it was plus 2 with mixed rain/snow!

[Skidz]

The road to La Ronge was smoky on Wednesday. I should be in Val D'Or tomorrow or Sunday at the latest. I should be able to get some first hand info there...

[Frickin' Apprentice!]

Hey there

 

Long time no post, but I have been busy chasing helicopters, chasing fires all over the western NWT. At one point I had 3 Astars to look after all maxing out at 8 hours. I haven’t even spent one full week in one place….kind of a neat way to see the country. Today I drove 2.5 to go look after a 204 working a fire north of here. I am back down here (one of our bases) just working on my one Astar, and helping out on a couple of jet-buggies, and a long-dong.

 

On the 7th of this month I “celebrated” one year in the industry. If you told me a year ago that I would be working on a 204 that was bucketing and running crews on fires in the NWT, I never would have believed you. Even though I am always tired and dirty and bleeding from my scabby bug bites I keep picking, I am really enjoying being out here. It is challenging, and sometimes stressful as ****, but I am really glad I decided to give up the apartment, quit the job, and drive to Yellowknife in a car I hoped would make it and a tent that had holes in it, a year ago.

 

Well that is all for now. I am going to go jump in my sleeping bag before midnight, which is something I haven’t done in a while.

 

Apprentice

 

P.S. Try not to burn your arm on the exhaust, then rub the blisters off while you are loading a bucket…it stings. :shock:

[Cutter]

FA,

 

Glad to hear all is well, gotta love the Med's eh!! Hope your not giv'n too much blood. Drop me a PM as to wereabouts. Beers at the Monkey Tree in Sept??

 

Mag's, Euro got a waterbucketing Medium??? I thought they gave "Free "hats to anybody

 

Cheers, P