Esk’etemc First Nation crews work the wildfires

Angie Mindus photo Alexis Harry Sr. (front left) and Darrick Andrew control a blaze in the Hanceville-Riske Creek fire recently. The two fire fighters are part of the eight, six-man crews that make up the Alkali Resources Management, or ARM, of the Esk’etemc First Nation who have been fighting wildfires in the Cariboo Chilcotin all month. For more on ARM please visit our website at www.wltribune.com. Alexis Harry Sr. and Darrick Andrew control a blaze in the Hanceville-Riske Creek fire recently. The two fire fighters are part of the eight, five-man crews that make up the Alkali Resources Management, or ARM, of the Esk’etemc First Nation who have been fighting wildfires in the area all month. (Angie Mindus photo)Angie Mindus photo Alexis Harry Sr. (front left) and Darrick Andrew control a blaze in the Hanceville-Riske Creek fire recently. The two fire fighters are part of the eight, six-man crews that make up the Alkali Resources Management, or ARM, of the Esk’etemc First Nation who have been fighting wildfires in the Cariboo Chilcotin all month. For more on ARM please visit our website at www.wltribune.com. Alexis Harry Sr. and Darrick Andrew control a blaze in the Hanceville-Riske Creek fire recently. The two fire fighters are part of the eight, five-man crews that make up the Alkali Resources Management, or ARM, of the Esk’etemc First Nation who have been fighting wildfires in the area all month. (Angie Mindus photo)
Les Johnson is busy fighting fire with ARM, but he usually works as a forest technician. He said he is enjoying helping people and protecting properties. (Angie Mindus photos)Les Johnson is busy fighting fire with ARM, but he usually works as a forest technician. He said he is enjoying helping people and protecting properties. (Angie Mindus photos)
Larry Johnson is a member of ARM.Larry Johnson is a member of ARM.
Charlie Johnson, 63, loves his work with ARM.Charlie Johnson, 63, loves his work with ARM.
Douglas Johnson has thirty years experience fighting fires.Douglas Johnson has thirty years experience fighting fires.
Douglas Johnson is all smiles at work “in his office.”Douglas Johnson is all smiles at work “in his office.”
During the second firestorm at Riske Creek crews didn’t even have time to grab their water hoses before the fire wept through.During the second firestorm at Riske Creek crews didn’t even have time to grab their water hoses before the fire wept through.
The Hanceville-Riske Creek fire jumped the road, burning on both sides as well as traveling north as far as the eye can see.The Hanceville-Riske Creek fire jumped the road, burning on both sides as well as traveling north as far as the eye can see.
RPF and ARM manager Gord Chipman is proud of the work of his ARM team.RPF and ARM manager Gord Chipman is proud of the work of his ARM team.

For Alkali Resource Management (ARM) workers from Esk’etemc First Nation, fighting wildfires is in their blood.

“They love their work. They are very comfortable around fire,” said ARM manager Gord Chipman of his staff. “For them, fires are the most natural type of forest management.”

ARM has eight, five-member crews called “five packs” who have been dispatched to fight wildfires since the season took off July 7. The firefighters range in years of experience from one year to more than 30 years of fighting fires in the forest.

Chipman, a registered professional forester (RPF) himself and ARM manager for eight years, said ARM employs 20 year-round staff and 40 firefighters and has a standing offer with the BC Wildfire Service to fight fires.

Teams were initially sent out to fires near Kersley where Chipman said they were instrumental in saving houses and properties from wildfires.

“The home owners were really grateful they were there to help.”

Les Johnson, who usually works as a forestry tech, said being a firefighter is rewarding.

“I like doing this kind of work. It saves the communities, (we) try to save houses, try to save people’s properties. Try to keep the roads open for evacuees to go from town to town,” Johnson said, while containing a fire at Riske Creek recently.

For crew boss Alexis Alphonse, the excitement of the job is what keeps him fighting fires.

“It’s a good adrenaline rush when you are fighting a fire, like rank two, three, four, even rank five (fires) sometimes. Ya, it’s what I like doing.”

Chipman is putting young firefighters, such as Alphonse who has five years experience, into positions of leadership to help train them for management positions in the future.

“We are trying to train young guys to build our capacity. We want them to be managers and supervisors.”

Chipman said in the off season, firefighters work on tree spacing in their community forests and First Nation woodland tenures.

“That way we can hang on to our crews.”

Esk’etemc First Nation Douglas Johnson has been firefighting for more than thirty years.

“He’s perfectly comfortable here,” Chipman said as Johnson walked out to a logging road from a forest blackened by fire.

“This is his office.”

Johnson goes on to tell Chipman the fire he is fighting is like “a sleeping dragon right now. It’s catching its second wind.”

Chipman said when the men are out working, the women are busy in the community preparing to feed them upon their return.

“It unites the community when the guys are out fighting fires.”

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