L.A. wildfires a haunting reminder says West Kelowna fire chief

The West Kelowna fire chief admits some of his firefighters can’t watch what’s happening in California as it is a stark reminder of the McDougall Creek fire. The blaze invaded West Kelowna neighbourhoods and destroyed or damaged over 200 properties.

“It’s haunting to see the pictures, to hear the description,” he told Mike Smyth on CKNW this week. “They are describing the same thing we experienced here, just on a much bigger scale and much more devastating.”

And while he admits it is difficult to watch, there are lessons to be learned. His interest is piqued by strategies and technologies deployed in the L.A. fight, such as extensive nighttime aerial firefighting capabilities, which would benefit B.C.’s own battle against future wildfires.

“That is a tactic that until just this past wildfire season we haven’t had here,” he said. “And now it is standard practice for them … it needs to become a standard practice (in B.C.).”

The B.C. Wildfire Service said two contracted helicopters were equipped to fly with night-vision technology in 2024 and were integrated into operations in July. 

The night-vision technology was mainly used for reconnaissance, detection and mapping, although nighttime waterbombing was performed on a few wildfires.

“Dealing with these fires now is not just an afternoon problem, it is an around the clock problem,” he said. “We see fire behaviour in the middle of the night that we never used to see and it is happening at its peak at two in the morning.”

That’s why, he said, having aerial support is key 24 hours a day.

Brolund said the conditions fanning the flames in Southern California are similar to what fuelled the rapid and destructive growth of the McDougall blaze – an extended period of exceptionally dry weather, above average temperatures, and major winds.

-- with files from The Canadian Press