Going downtown

[100ft]

I'm sharing a unique sight from a few minutes ago in my town.

 

The wife and I headed down to Starbucks in Vernon for our daily frappacino date when we saw friend Rod Watt whiz by at low level in his CHL chevy towing a bucket. As with the day before, it appeared as though Becker Park downtown was ablaze in these record dry local conditions. The park is surrounded by business and residential area and predictably fire trucks too though we kept out of the way. When we left Starbucks, we noted there to be a twin turbo prop birdog marshalling a f/w heavy bomber (presumably from YKA) down to nearby Kalamalka Lake then into downtown. So we parked at a highpoint in commercial district 6 blocks away and watched the show highlighted by the bomber <100' over downtown dump a couple of loads then someone's 212 show up on the edge of town

before we carried on. Great show and the fire was controlled quickly.

 

Speaking with the regional forestry boss at the new Vernon firebase south of town a day or two ago, he indicated that conditions are as dry as records have ever shown and life is soon to become very interesting in the area barring a miracle.

 

[canuck]

That 212 was Tasman TVL

[100ft]

I was also speaking with a pilot from the coast that day who was up in town to prune trees for BC hydro. (He thought the 212 was from Penticton. It sounds more like Whistler I guess then.) The tree pruning method was a new one on me. They take a door gunner with 12 gauge SSG to top the small diameter trees. Of course he brought Bambi along for the road trip.

 

....learn something new each day.