West Kootenay Experiences Firestorm 2007 by Jan Mcmurray Evacuation Alert As of Press Time
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August 15, 2007 The Valley Voice Volume 16, Number 16 August 15, 2007 Delivered to every home between Edgewood, Kaslo & South Slocan. Published bi-weekly. “Your independently owned regional community newspaper serving the Arrow Lakes, Slocan & North Kootenay Lake Valleys.” West Kootenay experiences Firestorm 2007 by Jan McMurray evacuation alert as of press time. noon. One of these households self- Our part of the province saw the On August 3, evacuation alerts were evacuated. worst of the 2007 fire season. issued to a total of 60 homes in the area Krause said there were 80 The three most notable fires in the from Aylwin Creek to the southern firefighters on the ground (three 20- province this year were in the Southeast boundary of Silverton, including all person BC Forest Service crews and Fire Centre area – Springer Creek five homes on Red Mountain Road. At the two ten-people contract crews), a total kilometres northeast of Slocan; Arrow August 3 public meeting in New of 136 BC Forest Service staff, six Lakes Penstock fire, one kilometre north Denver, it was reported that the alert was helicopters and ten pieces of heavy of Needles on the west side of Lower “a matter of expediency, not danger.” equipment on the fire on August 6. Arrow Lake; and the Hamill Creek fire The alert was rescinded August 8. Krause gave a brief history of the near Argenta. All three of these were Highway 6 was closed between fire. The lightning-caused fire was interface fires and were threatening Aylwin Creek and the Slocan bluffs on reported by a member of the public on property. August 3 at 9:30 am and re-opened July 17 at 1:30 pm. It started on a rock The Springer Creek fire was the August 8 at 8 am. It was closed “due to cliff, and was spot size, burning in the biggest, caused evacuation orders and burning trees, falling debris, smoke and rocks. It was actioned that day with an alerts and a highway closure, and ash,” according to Ministry of initial attack crew and a helicopter with prompted the RDCK to declare a local Transportation spokesperson Lisanne a bucket, but accessibility was a big state of emergency for Area H from Bowness. Since it re-opened on August issue for them. On July 19, someone August 1-6. 8, it has been reduced to single lane and called in to report that the fire was flaring The fire grew to 2880 hectares or alternating traffic, with a pilot car so that up again. A crew was dispatched, but 28.8 square kilometres on August 6, and people will not stop in the area. The again they could not get down into the was reported to be within 100 metres Ministry had a geotechnical engineer rocks. They tried to rappel down, but of homes from August 1 to 3. August 3 fly over the area on August 6 to assess couldn’t, so they built a helicopter pad was probably the most stressful day, the situation. The main concern was the continued on page 3 The Springer Creek fire, taken from the air on August 7. when the fire was “pretty much at the Cape Horn bluffs – the ministry wanted highway” according to a forestry official to ensure that any rock loosened at the at a public meeting in New Denver. At bluffs would be removed before re- 5:35 pm that day, the fire jumped across opening the highway. Bowness said the Enterprise Creek to the north, preliminary fly over by the geotechnical approximately 2.5 kilometres upstream engineer confirmed that fire had not from Enterprise Creek bridge. reached the bluffs, so slope stability at Thankfully, the direction of the that location was not impacted. wind changed late in the evening of The largest number of resources August 3, pushing the fire southward, reported were 178 firefighters on the back on itself. On August 4, crews ground, 8 helicopters and 28 pieces of conducted a burn-off along the heavy equipment. The Martin Mars southwest flank, significantly reducing bomber worked on this fire on August the threat to the community. By August 3. The fire was discovered July 29 and 7, the fire was five kilometres from the was caused by lightning. It was 50% nearest home. There was no damage contained on August 12. The Martin Mars bomber taking off after filling up with water from Slocan Lake, August 3. done to any homes or structures, The Arrow Lakes penstock fire, including Enterprise Creek bridge. about one kilometre north of Needles Water bomber from Mars seen above Slocan and Kootenay Lakes Evacuation orders were issued to a on the west side of Arrow Lake, was by Art Joyce lost in an accident in Chesapeake Bay Mars entered service in 1963. They total of 30 households on August 1 and 97% contained on August 12. The When fire gets out of control in the but was replaced as part of a fleet of were operated by Flying Tankers Inc. 3. Homes south of Enterprise Creek to biggest impact of this fire was that it woods, who you gonna call? How about five built for the navy in 1947. The as a subsidiary of TimberWest Forest the Slocan bluffs (Memphis Creek) caused a power outage in a large area – the Martin Mars – a vintage World War others were named the Marianas Mars, Ltd. until late last year, when they were were issued the order on August 1, while from just north of Fauquier to Burton II bomber capable of dropping a 60,000 Philippine Mars, Marshall Mars, and sold to Coulson Air Tankers. The planes homes north of Enterprise Creek to and Nakusp, and down the Slocan pound ‘wet blanket’ on a raging wildfire. Caroline Mars. The Marshall Mars was are based on Sproat Lake, near Port Aylwin Creek (just south of the southern Valley to New Denver, Silverton, Red Residents of Silverton and New lost near Hawaii to an engine fire and Alberni, BC. entrance to Red Mountain Road) were Mountain Road and all residences on Denver got an up-close glimpse of the the remaining ‘Big Four’ worked as The Mars bombers are powered issued the order on August 3. Ten the north side of Enterprise Creek. The Martin Mars water bomber as it scooped cargo planes on the San Francisco- by four engines of 2,500 horsepower evacuees from the south side of power went out on August 1 at about a payload from Slocan Lake to fight the Honolulu route until 1956. each, and can carry up to 7,200 US Enterprise registered at the reception 9:30 am and came back on August 2 at Springer Creek fire on August 3. The The Mars aircraft nearly met an gallons (27,250 litres) of water, in either centre in Slocan, at the youth centre about 4:20 pm. targets for the Mars bombers in the West untimely end when they were to be sold a side or belly tank. Each Mars carries across from WE Graham School. 32 As soon as the power went out, the Kootenay were the Springer Creek fire for scrap in 1959. Dan McIvor, who 600 US gallons (2,270 litres) of foam evacuees registered at the reception fire became a “type one” fire, and a type and the Hamill Creek fire north of represented a consortium of BC lumber concentrate, which is estimated to centre in New Denver, located at Knox one crew was dispatched. Rob Krause, Argenta. The Mars aircraft were also companies, foresaw their value as water increase firefighting efficiency by 30%, Hall. Ten people under evacuation order type one incident commander from pressed into service in Kelowna during bombers. A company called Flying especially in interface fires. They can chose to stay in their homes, and signed Burns Lake, was called to take over the the 2003 firestorm. Tankers Inc. was formed to purchase be in the air in 10 minutes and can make papers saying they had made this fire about 22 minutes after the power There are actually only two Martin and convert the Big Four for aerial a drop every 15 minutes. Each drop can choice. RCMP reported that these went out. He and information officer Mars air tankers currently in existence firefighting. The Marianas Mars crashed cover an area of up to 4 acres (1.6 people were “as safe as they can be” Sue Croft held a public meeting in – the Philippine Mars and the Hawaii while firefighting near Northwest Bay, hectares). The Mars is also equipped to and indicated that some had an escape Nakusp on August 6. Mars. Designed by Glenn L. Martin in BC on June 23, 1961 and all four crew deliver Thermo-Gel, which forms a route by water. On August 8, effective The fire got to 570 hectares in size. 1938 for US Navy ocean patrol, the members were lost. Just over a year light gel by encapsulating water 8 am, the evacuation orders were An evacuation alert was issued to 18 plane was deemed obsolete for this use later, on October 12, 1962, the Caroline droplets, providing a more even, longer rescinded and residents returned to their homes on Needles North Road on by 1943 and converted to transport Mars was destroyed by Typhoon Freda. lasting coating of the fuels on the homes. The area was still under August 1 and rescinded on August 9 at aircraft. The original Hawaii Mars was The Hawaii Mars and Philippine ground. a regular conservation feature brought to you by • Use a glass to rinse your toothbrush.