Denis Thompson showed off his FireSmart home to the media on April 27, Thompson is the head on the local FireSmart committee and has taken steps to protect his property in the event of a fire. (Dale Boyd/Osoyoos Times)

By Dale Boyd

Osoyoos Times

With back-to-back record wildfire years in B.C., Sasquatch Trail resident Denis Thompson is doing everything he can to protect his, and his neighbour’s, property.

“It’s my biggest asset so I want to protect it. It’s got a lot of memories and a lot of valuables in it,” Thompson said. “It’s home.”

Thompson is setting the example for locals joining the BC FireSmart initiative, started by BC Wildfire in 2017 to coordinate and integrate resources across different agencies.

A sprinkler system on his home, vegetation management on his property and emergency planning are just some of the ways Thompson and FireSmart help keep communities prepared in the event of a fire. Now Thompson leads the FireSmart committee in the area which started in 2013.

“I’ve taken extra training and still follow what (FireSmart Canada) is doing because there are new things all the time. The latest thing I did was put sprinklers on my home,” Thompson said. “I also have a generator because I know if you do have a fire you’ll probably lose power.”

He was already doing the work to make his property free of combustible materials and became more involved with FireSmart as the years went on.

Now he helps inspect other properties looking at proper storage of combustible materials and making homes less susceptible to a blaze.

All told, the equipment and education is relatively low-cost to Thompson. He estimates he has spent around $1,000 on fire prevention measures on his home.

“It’s not the end-all and be-all, but yeah we feel more comfortable,” Thompson said.

“We’ve already had two grass fires up here this year. You’re always nervous. You know it’s going to happen, it’s just when,” Thompson said.

Firefighters with the Anarchist Mountain Fire Department trained on generator pumps, laying hose and more on April 27. The department has already put out two small fires this year as wildfire season approaches. (Dale Boyd/Osoyoos Times)

Train, train, train

Firefighters with the provincial wildfire service were in the area to help promote FireSmart BC and talk to firefighters prior to fire season.

Fons Raedscheldars, acting senior wildfire officer of prevention in the southeast fire centre, said community involvement is key.

“That’s what it really takes is everybody’s hands on deck.”

In his 17^th year of firefighting, Raedscheldars said it is a lifelong passion. Heading into another year, after 2018 saw over one million hectares burned in the province, the mentality is the same.

“I try to go into every season, and I think everyone in the wildfire service would tell you the same thing, you go into every year planning for the busiest season you can imagine,” Raedscheldars said. “You try to train that way, keep that mentality the same so you can maintain that level you need to be at.”

However, the increase in wildfires across the province is still top of mind.

“I’d be lying if I said the last two years didn’t make you think about it a little harder coming out of the winter months. We just approach it the same every year. Make sure you’re mentally prepared, psychically prepared.”

That state of mind is the same for local firefighters with the Anarchist Mountain Fire Department. With two small grass fires occurring in the area earlier in April, firefighters are doing one thing to prepare.

“Train, train, train,” said Alex Giovannelli, Deputy Fire Chief with the AMFD.

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Two small fires caused by legal burns, the largest at 100 square meters, were put out quickly and an opportunity to put skills to the test early.

“We’ve already had two wildland fires already in this area which is unprecedented, to be that early,” Giovannelli said.

Moisture, precipitation and snow melt will once again determine the course of the summer when it comes to wildfires.

“Part of our concern is when there isn’t as much snow pack and there’s not as much moisture in the ground. We’re hoping for some rains. If we don’t see those rains we’re probably going to see something that we’ve seen in the last couple years and that’s just more threat of forest fire,” Giovannelli said.

He praised efforts by local residents like Thompson who get out ahead of the threat and do even more to audit other’s homes for fire safety measures.

“This community has been outstanding in terms of setting the example,” Giovannelli said.

The paid on-call (formerly known as a volunteer department) has 28 members, an inspiring number for the size of the community.

“It’s a fairly large volunteer group for such a small community. It’s just awesome how people pull together both for FireSmart and for the fire department. It’s just an awesome amount of support,” Giovannelli said.

Firefighters with the Anarchist Mountain Fire Department trained on generator pumps, laying hose and more on April 27. The department has already put out two small fires this year as wildfire season approaches. (Dale Boyd/Osoyoos Times)

Hands-on training

Local firefighters were getting a crash course in theoretical and hands-on training with equipment over the weekend.

Firefighters were working with a water pump to use local ponds and lakes as a water source, completing theoretical training on firefighting strategies, laying hose and getting more familiar with the tools used to beat back a blaze.

AMFD Fire Chief Urs Grob said there was an early start to the year with the two small fires in the area, but the silver lining was some real-world training.

“The risk is always here, I was not unhappy, it’s good training for us. The fire doesn’t spread really fast right now, gives you time, so it was not a big deal,” Grob said.

So far, Anarchist Mountain has been lucky, with zero calls for a fire last year.

“Not one call, not one fire, it was amazing,” Grob said. “When you look at the chances, for the last couple of years we are, so far, lucky.”

This year is forecasted to be a dry one, with the Okanagan snow basin reported at 81 per cent of normal in March, according to provincial forecasters, and the Similkameen coming in at 71 per cent of normal. However, as Grob and many experienced firefighters said on Saturday, it is impossible to predict.

Chief for the last four years at AMFD, Grob said training videos showing the movement of fires were slower compared to what he has seen in recent years, including the 2015 fire in Rock Creek.

“They moved way faster. It changed. The one in California, people said the fire behavior was crazy. That’s why we have to train for it, we really don’t know what is going to happen,” Grob said. “They say it’s getting more extreme and I have to believe that.”

However, Grob applauded the efforts by locals to come together, plan and do the only thing they can: prepare.

“There were guys who were in there at the beginning that pushed really hard (for FireSmart programs) and now people are buying into it,” Grob said.

Jude Tyssen, 4, checks out all the fire trucks during the Anarchist Mountain Fire Department’s annual open house on April 27. (Dale Boyd/Osoyoos Times)

Jude Tyssen, 4, gets behind the wheel of a fire truck during the Anarchist Mountain Fire Department’s annual open house on April 27. (Dale Boyd/Osoyoos Times)