PETERS: Probing questions more constructive than uninformed takes on fire response

Most of the time, we’re fooling ourselves, of course.

That shouldn’t stop us from asking questions, though. Questions and answers help us learn and understand much clearer than observing from afar.

Certainly, the BC Wildfire Service decision to put the Mine Creek wildfire on modified response warranted some questions.

This is the fire that shut down the Coquihalla Highway between Hope and Merritt for a good chunk of this week.

Early in the day Wednesday, the wildfire service said the fire was visible from the highway but was burning upslope and into a previously burned area.

The service decided on a modified response, meaning it would not seek to attack the fire as aggressively as it would if it was directly threatening properties or infrastructure.

We know what happened next.

On Wednesday afternoon, the fire took off toward the Coquihalla Highway, ultimately jumping to the other side.

Video from the scene showed an inferno on either side of the highway, with trees candling and thick smoke providing a blanket of poor visibility.

It wasn’t long before the Coquihalla, a vital route for both commuters and economic activity, was closed.

Answering our questions, the wildfire service noted the modified response was partly due to poor road access thanks to bridges that were washed out by the 2021 atmospheric river, which hammered this exact area.

The service also noted the fire growth was driven by a shift in wind gusts that was completely unforeseen.

Those answers may not satisfy the armchair experts but asking them is far more constructive than spouting off from a place of ignorance.

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Editor’s Note: This opinion piece reflects the views of its author, and does not necessarily represent the views of CFJC Today or Pattison Media.

by James Peters

PETERS: Probing questions more constructive than uninformed takes on fire response

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