Recent content by foresterab

To be fair to the federal government that money is being used through a mixture of provincial agencies (to increase capacity/training) and municipalities and some of it at least I can see the effects of around me. For example PEI has used some funds to increase the trained capacity of...

Sounds like a great set of tactics organized....retardant lines to slow spread/drop intensity. Helicopters to hit the hot spots/re-enforce the retardant lines until the heavy equipment created the fuel break and the crew secured the perimeter/fire. Tankers are great...but they don't put...

I wish I could say that....I was on new fires starting personally up until late November and I got a slow spring with no my first fire in April. But coworkers were dealing with fires in all the other winter months....at somewhere in there you need people to arrange for the seasonal season...

I've only worked with TF2 - who are excellent to work with - a couple of times on wildfire. They did not come in as the wildfire subject experts but to help the EOC function and/or support specialists with non-fireline roles. As I understand it their membership is primarily drawn from the...

I'm really split on this as there are a couple of key questions and priorities that need to be established first: 1) is this just wildfire or all hazard response. It's similar, but often different training and requires additional infrastructure/vehicle/equipment response than simple wildfires...

That would be Neptune Aviation out of Missoula who were one of the first users of the RJ-85/Bae-146 airframe for tankers in the US. The same plane is also now in use by a couple of other operators in Canada.

This is actually nowhere near the earliest dates...I just can't express how nutty last year was. May 5 2023 alone in Alberta I've counted over 14 towns/reserves evacuated and over 30,000 people evacuated...and for some it was their 3rd evacuation of the season. May 3 2016 caused 88,000...

It's funny because I thought Conair had a significantly larger fleet out of Abbotsford and supplies BC, AB, YK? and France and then has a US based division with more planes. But the aircraft fleets are quite different too with Conair mostly AT-802, Dash 8 Q400's, and RJ85/Bae-146. Coulson...

The definition of Metis I learned growing up was mixed native and European bloodlines. However it's nowhere that simple and to be recognized a Metis - from the Canadian Constitution - you must be able to show linage to the Red River valley and the Metis who lived in the area pre-Canada/Red...

really depends on the camp....some are single washroom for 4-6 rooms (older style). Some are shared washroom between two rooms. Some are multiple washrooms to a wing of rooms. And then there are the fancy ones with private bathrooms. Unfortunately alot of those camps also get used hard...

It's been a long time since I've worked in NE BC and I'm not up to speed on where are all the camps at the moment. I remember quite a few that were good for 20-50 men(2 x room) and depending on where located it's pretty amazing how fast the camp companies can bring in housing for 100? 200? 400...

To follow up on the earlier discussion on evacuation and capacity: https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/british-columbia/fort-st-john-bc-wildfire-evacuees-fort-nelson-1.7203854 Evacuees are spreading further and further out due to lack of capacity in FSJ. It's not as simple as directing someone to...

correction...only parts of Fort Mac are evacuated at this time. Rest of the city remains on Evacuation alert.

https://www.gov.mb.ca/conservation_fire/Fire-Maps/fireview/fireview.html 35,000 ha burnt from a fire in 3 days. That one (WE010) has had some momentum going :(. Hate being in the smoke like that...hoping we get some wind shifts (and reduced wind speed) soon.

I've spent nights in arenas...and they're okay if nothing else is available. But like you I was thinking shelter areas where - for example - a series of ranger tents and cots could be set up (beats sleeping in a truck) or a portable camp brought in. My concern is that if you got the arena...