Port Moody Fire and Rescue’s special expertise in fighting wild land fires has come in handy to help control a fire in Richmond.
The city’s deputy fire chief, Kirk Heaven, said PMFR received a request from Richmond’s fire department last Friday for assistance to help douse a stubborn fire that was burning in a thick, boggy forest on Department of National Defence property near Westminster Highway and Shell Road. By then, the fire had grown to about eight hectares, sending a thick plume of hazy smoke over parts of Metro Vancouver.
Heaven said Port Moody’s proximity to forests and wild lands means his department has plenty of specialized equipment like sprinklers, pumps, holding tanks and lightweight forestry fire hoses that can be quickly deployed in the event of a fire those areas. Firefighters also receive regular training with that equipment.
Saturday, Heaven and Capt. Jeff Dennis delivered a pod of equipment to the fire scene in Richmond, which by then had grown to an estimated 10 to 12 hectares despite the efforts of more than 20 firefighters as well as four airplanes and a helicopter provided by BC Wildlife Services.
“Before we even stopped, they were trying to pull the equipment off our truck,” Heaven said, adding Dennis helped deploy more than 100 sprinklers as well as water pumps into the isolated area that was burning, about a thousand feet from the nearest road and with no trail access.
The effort continued through the weekend and into Monday.
“It’s very complicated with that peat,” Heaven said, adding the fire can smoulder underground undetected until it suddenly flares up a tree. “It’s a huge challenge.”
It’s also a great learning opportunity to gain more experience and knowledge about combatting such fires that the department can use should a wild land fire erupt in the Moody’s own woods or backyards, he said.
The current spell of hot weather has the department on high alert, with plenty of equipment and manpower available should an incident occur, Heaven said.
Which was exactly the case when a small fire broke out recently along Randy’s Trail on Eagle Mountain. Heaven said quick work by crews prevented the fire from growing much more than five feet in diameter.
“The potential for fire is very, very high.”
— with files from The Richmond News
