Premier Christy Clark offered a public thank-you to BC Wildfire Service crews and staff today.

Provincial wildfire personnel faced an unusually busy fire season this year. The 2015 season started earlier than normal, with unseasonably hot temperatures and a higher than normal amount of lightning activity driving an increase in fire starts throughout the province.

Despite aggressive wildfire activity that challenged their efforts, provincial crews responded to over 1,800 fires and kept the vast majority of them small. When wildfires grew to large sizes, the BC Wildfire Service worked tirelessly to minimize the threat posed to communities, values and infrastructure.

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The province worked closely with our neighbours in the United States, as many fires were burning near our shared border. When fires threatened to cross the international boundary, close working relationships between jurisdictions ensured that there was solid communication and co-ordination in place.

During this season, as of Oct. 5, 1,823 fires burned a total of 304,649 hectares and $277,908,183 were spent on fire suppression. Of these fires 573 were human-caused and therefore preventable. They burned an estimated total of 57,003 hectares.

Responding to these wildfires required a major team effort. The crews on the ground, the air crews fighting the fires from above, the support and administrative personnel and everyone else who assisted were all instrumental in keeping B.C. communities safe.

Quotes:

Premier Christy Clark –

“It takes a special kind of courage to walk towards a fire, armed only with an axe and a can of gas. British Columbia owes a debt to BC Wildfire Service staff and crews for all the long hours, dedication, and bravery they showed during the 2015 fire season. They kept a lot of people safe, and prevented a lot of families from losing their homes.”

Minister of Forests, Lands and Natural Resource Operations, Steve Thomson –

“I am proud of the BC Wildfire Service and having seen first-hand what these men and women do each day during fire season, I am impressed.”

Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Forests, Lands and Natural Resource Operations, Mike Morris –

“The BC Wildfire Service did exemplary work this season. However, too many fires were still human-caused. That is why, through my wildfire review we hope to find ways to reduce the risk these fires pose.”

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Quick Facts:

• Total staff (full time and auxiliary) employed by the BC Wildfire Service for the 2015 season was just over 1,600. In addition, the province had support from over 800 contract firefighting personnel. Additional personnel were brought in to the province from across Canada as well as Australia, South Africa and the United States to assist.
• The province’s airtanker fleet flew 692 missions in support of our ground crews, dropping over 11 million litres of suppressant and over 14 million litres of retardant.
• The number of fires responded to in 2015 and the area burned was well above average compared to the last 10 years.

Learn More:

http://bcwildfire.ca/index.htm

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