Crews in Richmond have a bog fire that broke out overnight Thursday almost completely contained, but say it could be next weekend before it is extinguished.
Deputy Richmond fire Chief Kevin Gray says crews have established a fire perimeter at a “75 per cent confidence level,” and hope to raise that to 100 per cent in the coming days.
But he says the smoke pouring from the smouldering peat bog is here to stay for the time being, and crews expect to be working on the site until at least next weekend.
The key challenge at this point remains getting water into the large, wooded area.
“We will be planning to extend some water mains in to support our perimeter lines and from that we’ll take some more actions to get into the centre,” Gray said.
“It’s about distances, how much distance we have to move this water.”
WATCH: Crews battle stubborn Richmond bog fire
Gray said BC Wildfire Service crews finished their deployment at the site on Saturday night.
He said 30 personnel were on site Sunday, including members from the Port Moody, Vancouver and Delta fire departments.
Get breaking National news
He said knowledge that Delta crews developed fighting the 2016 Burns Bog fire, and of Vancouver crews who were deployed to fight last year’s B.C. wildfires, has been helpful.
“We’re learning from those experiences,” Gray said.
“Using some of that information is a very good benefit for us.”
WATCH: Bog fire spreads smoke across parts of Metro Vancouver
As for the cause of the fire, Gray says a team of fire investigators will begin their work in earnest on Monday.
He said the RCMP is also probing another possible angle.
“We do have two encampments, one on the north side and one on the south side. And the known occupants of those are known to police, so they’re actively investigating them.”
Shell Road and the Shell Road Trail both remain closed, and Gray is asking the public to keep their distance.
The fire zone, bounded by Number Four Road, Alderbridge Way, Shell Road and Westminster Highway is also strictly off-limits to the public.
Fire crews were initially called to the wooded area on a piece of Department of National Defence (DND) land overnight between Thursday and Friday, and despite smelling smoke, could not locate its source.
The fire flared up in the heat of the day on Friday, growing rapidly.
The BC Wildfire Service was deployed, bringing air support in the form of a helicopter, a Bird Dog spotter plane and four skimmer planes.
DND staff also assisted with the firefighting efforts.
WATCH: Richmond firefighters battling stubborn wildfire in bog lands
Those planes could be seen making water pickup runs on the Fraser River on Friday.
By Saturday, crews had made significant progress and carved a path into the wooded area to try and complete a perimeter. Fire crews had hoped to completely contain the blaze by Saturday night.
Crews have been dealing with difficult conditions. The fire is burning in peat, much of it underground and hard to reach – meaning firefighters have had to pump water into the ground.
It has also created safety hazards, with hollow ash pockets just beneath the ground’s surface creating dangerous holes that firefighters could step into.
- Cowichan case blamed for sinking B.C. property deals, including luxury hotel purchase
- One of Kimberly Proctor’s killers denied parole again, board believes he is still a risk
- Egypt and Iran protest Seattle FIFA match over Pride celebrations
- Highway 1 east of Golden, B.C. closed due to crash, snowy weather
Comments