The Tweedsmuir Complex Fire, now estimated at 298,538 hectares, continues to be zero per cent contained.
Comprised of the Dean River, Ramsey Creek, Tesla Lake, Pandosy Bay, Klinaklini, Monarch Mountain and Wilderness Lake fires, the Tweedsmuir Complex Fire is located in an area of the West Chilcotin that is still very dry, said Coastal Fire Centre information officer Donna MacPherson.
Read more: Tweedsmuir Park wildfires grow to encompass more than 200,000 hectares
“We’ve only had a sprinkling of rain,” she told the Tribune. “When you think of the size of these fires and the incredible dryness that’s deep deep underground that amount of rain isn’t going to stop it.”
In the upcoming weather forecast, the best chance for rain is on Saturday, but the prediction is for maybe 10 to 15 millimetres, she added.
“The difficulty that we’re having is we are going to go into a period of cooler and moister weather, but on Monday and Tuesday it looks like the temperatures are going to come back up to seasonal and we’re going to have some wind in the area which isn’t helpful, either.”
Crews are working to try and gain some control, especially on the edges of the fire that are closest to areas that have been identified as important.
Two of those areas are Old Gatcho Village and Salmon River homesteads — important to people from Ulkatcho First Nation.
Worried about protecting the areas and some of the old graves there, volunteer firefighters from the Ulkatcho (Anahim Lake) First Nation went into fight the fires about two weeks ago at their own expense.
Graham West is one of those who went to fight the fires, but rather than take any credit, he was quick to praise the efforts of two of his community members.
“Andre Cahoose is a fine young man, not yet 19, but led by example,” West told the Tribune. “His knowledge of our traditional ways and history far exceeds most.”
West said the Andre had great teachers in his Uba Dennis and Uma Bernice and both should be very proud of him.
He also praised Larry Cahoose, a “very quiet” man.
“His love for his family, people and lands is unbelievable,” West said of Larry.
“Together with Andre, they made a very loud statement, thus gained a lot more volunteers that they led into the wildfires to save our traditional territories and sacred sites.”
West said he told the band leadership and the B.C. Wildfire Service, “failure to do something, guarantees failure in saving our sacred sites.”
By Aug. 24, however, B.C. Wildfire Service crews also began working at the Old Gatcho Village site.
“On that day, the fire wrapped around the lake and we sent crews in to do firesmart work near a grave site that has wooden crosses in it that has been quite overrun with brush,” MacPherson said. “When our people went in, what they were doing was getting rid of the brush and clearing it out so if the fire came near that area it wouldn’t have the fuel available.”
Wildfire crews also started doing structural protection on some older buildings, using pumps, hoses and sprinklers.
“On Aug. 28, the fire spotted right across the lake and it dropped a burning ember into that area and the crews worked on it for two days,” MacPherson said. “The fire didn’t grow and is now under control and what we’re doing now is monitoring and patrolling it, but our focus is back on the main part of the fire.”
As of Saturday the B.C. Wildfire Service had 28 people working on the Tweedsmuir Complex Fire, including two danger tree assessors and three helicopters.
“I know they’ve been using heavy equipment as well, but that’s more in the Upper Dean River area,” MacPherson said. “We are trying to put resources where they will have the best effect. A lot of what they are doing is going in, assessing risk, doing structural protection where they need and building containment lines where they can.”
Read more: Merging wildfires prompt Klinaklini Lake evacaution order in West Chilcotin
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