As the land he knows and loves burns in a raging wildfire, Sean Coubrough, deputy regional fire chief for the Columbia Shuswap Regional District, is pleading for compassion from the public.
In a Wednesday video, he described “negativity” from a “small percentage of the population” that has recently been directed at some of those fighting the Bush Creek East wildfire.
“There have been some instances of threats, abuse, theft of equipment and other unfortunate events,” Coubrough said in the public address.
“For that reason, it makes it very difficult for us to do our job under those kinds of conditions.”
As of Wednesday, some 139 wildland firefighters and 61 support staff were working to contain the 41,041-hectare blaze, which, with its unusual shape, has proved challenging for crews.
Staff and volunteers from 13 local fire departments in the Columbia Shuswap Regional District have joined them, working on “very little sleep,” Coubrough said.
“Many of them have lost their homes and they’re still out here fighting,” he said. “There’s nothing in it for them. They’re here to help.
“All we ask, again, is for the public’s understanding that as we gain control of the situation, unfortunately, we have to cast a bit of a big net to get people off the roads, and some really good people are getting caught in it.”
The deputy fire chief indicated that some of the aggression was directed toward firefighters trying to control the flow of traffic on roads they needed access to.
“We need to gain a level of control over this scene. We understand the desire to help,” he said.
“We have danger trees around that could fall, we have ash pits, we have other hazards that come up all the time.”
Letting the firefighters do their jobs is in the “interests” of everyone, he added.
“It’s in the interests of making sure that these men and women who stuck around after losing their homes, after watching their community burn, after crying, after everything that we’ve gone through — that they go home at the end of the day,” he implored.
This is not the first report of unsavoury behaviour in the midst of the crisis. Over the weekend, the BC Wildfire Service revealed that some of its frontline equipment had been stolen.
Evacuation orders and alerts remain in place for the Bush Creek East fire. More than 100 structure protection personnel have now been assigned to safeguard local infrastructure as the blaze moves down slopes in the area.
Tracy Hughes, public information officer for the Columbia Shuswap Regional District, said there’s still no timeline in place for evacuated residents in devastated areas, like Sorrento, to return home.
They may, however, apply for a “case-by-case basis” permit to access the area.
“Currently, BC Wildfire has deemed those areas safe enough that people can have temporary access to go back, get a few things, water their animals if needed,” she told Global News.
“The North Shuswap is a different situation. There are no temporary access permits being offered for that area at this point. BC Wildfire has deemed it is unsafe.”
Canada Task Force 1, a heavy urban search and rescue team, arrived in the region on Tuesday to conduct rapid damage assessment on properties, while BC Hydro works to get things “operational again,” Hughes added.
That damage assessment could be finished on Wednesday or on Thursday.
“We want to get people back in their homes as soon as possible, but people do need to be aware that their neighbourhoods may look very different than they did before, even if they do have a home to go back to,” she told Global News.
“The other piece people need to remember, is maybe they’ve heard that their home is secure, is still standing, but those neighbourhoods may not be safe at this time for people to go back.”
Hughes said clearer skies have brought hope that more aerial resources can attack the Bush Creek East wildfire. The BC Wildfire Service’s Forrest Tower said rain around the fire has helped as well.
Helicopters bucketed Wednesday with a focus on Lee Creek, Scotch Creek, Celista and Magna Bay, Tower said. Fire behaviour has decreased on either side of Adams Lake, he added.
The ability to fly around the fire also means its perimeter — its size — can be remeasured and updated. It’s likely residents will see some growth on the BC Wildfire Service’s dashboard, Tower said.
Food and fuel have recently been delivered to impacted communities in the region as well, Emergency Management and Climate Readiness Minister Bowinn Ma said in a separate provincial briefing on Wednesday.
Meanwhile, anyone seeking a temporary access permit is asked to call 250-833-3397.
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