As droplets of rain started to land on the last West Kelowna neighbourhood threatened by the McDougall Creek wildfire Sunday, a joyful sound emerged.
“We are located up in Glenrosa and it had just begun to rain when we heard singing,” said Jaimee Hatchard, a neighbourhood resident. “We came outside to find the South African firefighters emerging from Powers Creek Canyon, singing what we’ve been told is an African rain song.”
The sound filled the street and people who heard it remarked that it was a welcome reprieve from the harrowing last days of the traditional summer holiday. When the video was posted to the community’s Facebook page, it was all the more celebrated.
The South African contingent of firefighters is about 100 members strong and arrived on Thursday, said Sarah Hall, BC Wildfire information officer.
“They’re working in that area, just mopping up and reinforcing that area. In total, it’s about four and a half kilometres of line that’s greater secured because of that ignition operation,” Hall said last Thursday.
“With out-of-province resources, their days can range from 14 days to a month, with time off in between. So with South Africa, they did arrive on July 28 and will be working with us for two weeks and then they will be on days off.”
Whether they return to the Central Okanagan or are dispatched to another point in the province remains to be seen.
Hall said that there are also firefighters in the area from Australia and Ontario. In the days, ahead, however, there may be a shift in resources as Hall said many of their firefighters will be heading back to university, so there’s a potential for some resource drops.
The McDougall Creek wildfire will continue to be an issue throughout September, officials confirmed Monday.
It’s estimated to be 13,712 hectares in area, remains out of control, and is continuing to burn above the Powers Creek drainage located near the Glenrosa neighbourhood of West Kelowna.
Sunday morning saw increased fire behaviour due to an inversion and poor overnight recoveries, with some smouldering ground fire growth. Despite modest rainfall on Sunday, the fire was expected to be very active on Monday.
As such, BC Wildfire Service, West Kelowna Fire Rescue, and RDCO Fire Services continue to coordinate protection and mitigation adjacent to and within the neighbourhoods in this area. They’re likely to continue in that manner for weeks to come.
“The fire is continuing a slow march down into Powers Creek,” said Jason Brolundm West Kelowna fire rescue chief. “BC Wildfire is trying to stop and contain that and the resources they’re putting (in) are significant.”
From the closest Glenrosa area property, Brolund said that the fire is still at least a kilometre away and it’s around four kilometres away from power lines and subdivisions.
Taking current and forecast weather into account, a variety of scenarios have been mapped out.
“We’ve had some time to plan so there’s a detailed structure protection, RCMP, and ESS evacuation plans in place,” Brolund said.
It also means that evacuation alerts will remain in the coming weeks and that firefighters and equipment will never be far from sight.
“People shouldn’t panic but the threat is there and there will be firefighting equipment in their neighbourhood,” he said.
“We ask, don’t climb on it and don’t move it. It’s there for everyone’s safety,” he said.
With control lines in place, low-intensity planned ignition operations will be used to bring the fire down to these pre-established areas where crews can safely and effectively extinguish the fire’s edge.
This planned ignition operation was scheduled Sunday, but conditions did not allow for the operation to be conducted. When conditions allow, planned ignition operations will be used to remove 150 hectares of unburned fuels on the north side of Carrot Mountain and an additional 250 hectares on the northwest to west side of Carrot Mountain.
Infrared scans were completed Sunday night throughout impacted residential areas along the southern portion of Westside Road. Personnel at the site will continue to target and mop up remaining hot spots and heat identified through scans. Equipment will continue to be demobilized in areas where it is no longer required.