Thursday, August 5, 2021
White Rock Lake Fire Update August 5, 13 Hours
- This fire is the number one priority for the BC Wildfire Service with more resources allocated than any other blaze in BC.
- This includes: 136 wildland firefighters, 99 of which are from Quebec, 125 structure protection personnel, 13 helicopters, 10 danger tree assessors/fallers, 43 pieces of heavy equipment, seven support staff and a BC Wildfire Service Incident Management Team.
- The structure protection branch consists of 125 structure protection personnel from 25 different fire departments. Fire department personnel are remaining on site overnight to ensure 24-hour coverage for Structure Protection. Four pieces of heavy equipment, two Type 1 Structure Protection Unit (SPU) trailers, four Type 2 SPU trailer, 17 engines, five mass-water delivery systems, and 14 water tenders are also assigned to the structure protection branch.
- 13 helicopters will be delivering water to problematic areas of the fire to support ground suppression efforts. The helicopter fleet includes a Sikorsky 64 SkyCrane helicopter, which has a 2,650-gallon tank that is fillable in less than one-minute. Additional air support is available and will be utilized as required, should conditions allow.
- Sustained 25 kilometers per hour southwesterly winds, gusting upwards of 40 kilometers per hour, are forecast to begin today, August 5. Wind gusts are expected to increase fire activity and challenge suppression efforts along the northeast and east flanks. The community of Falkland is on the northeast flank of the fire.
- Should winds increase, there is the potential for BCWS crews to be substantially challenged by fire conditions, and fire growth is expected.
- All Evacuation Orders and Alerts issued on August 4, 2021 remain in place.
- Residents need to do their part to keep themselves and emergency responders safe by following these Evacuation Orders or getting prepared now if on Evacuation Alert.
- The top priority for the BC Wildfire Service, as well as the CSRD, is human life and safety. The public is urged to maintain heightened awareness of the evolving situation over the next 48-hours and should be prepared in advance for a potential Evacuation Alert or Evacuation Order
