American wildfires threaten B.C. resort parks
Andy Ivens, CanWest News Service; Vancouver Province
Published: Sunday, September 03, 2006
VANCOUVER -- Two forest fires in Washington state are threatening to spread across the border into B.C., putting two interior resort parks Manning Park and Cathedral Park in peril.
The 2,500-hectare Tatoosh fire just south of Manning Park, south of Hope, B.C., is growing daily and could cross the border today, said B.C. Fire Service spokesman Jeff Moore.
The blaze was fanned by southeast winds overnight Friday, bringing it just 2.8 kilometres south of the border Saturday.
Moore said the Americans can't spare any firefighters to fight the Tatoosh fire, but the B.C. fire management team has a plan in place to fight the blaze, which is burning in the Pasayten river drainage, immediately east of the eastern boundary of Manning Park.
"We are planning and preparing for that fire," he said. "There's preliminary work being done now by the way of fire guards."
The greatest concern surrounding the Tatoosh fire is that it could threaten the 180 recreational residences in the eastern vicinity of Manning Park.
So far, no evacuation alerts have been issued although Moore says the residents have been made aware of the fire threat.
Meanwhile, U.S. authorities are placing their efforts on the Tripod fire, five kilometres south of Cathedral Park, near Keremeos, B.C.
The Tripod fire is currently the biggest forest fire in the U.S. burning at 60,800 hectares and is 54-per-cent contained.
Moore said that fire was "looking quite good and the guard containments are holding."
Moore added that other then recreational property in Manning Park, no towns are in the way the fires, just valuable wilderness areas.
Manning Park is one of the most popular destination areas in B.C.
Cathedral Park, near Keremeos, B.C., is under a fire advisory, meaning visitors should be prepared to evacuate the park on short notice.
Forecasting forest fires is not an exact science, said Moore.
"If the wind starts to blow, all bets are off," he said.
Dr. Nelson Ames, a medical health officer the Interior Health Authority, said common sense should dictate the appropriate action for people who suffer from the smoky air conditions.
"We have not seen a noticeable increase in people attending (hospitals)," said Ames.
He said air quality near a forest fire can change dramatically, even hour-to-hour.
"The main thing is to reduce exposure," he said.
[email protected]
[email protected]
Vancouver Province, with files from Lena Sin
© CanWest News Service 2006
Andy Ivens, CanWest News Service; Vancouver Province
Published: Sunday, September 03, 2006
VANCOUVER -- Two forest fires in Washington state are threatening to spread across the border into B.C., putting two interior resort parks Manning Park and Cathedral Park in peril.
The 2,500-hectare Tatoosh fire just south of Manning Park, south of Hope, B.C., is growing daily and could cross the border today, said B.C. Fire Service spokesman Jeff Moore.
The blaze was fanned by southeast winds overnight Friday, bringing it just 2.8 kilometres south of the border Saturday.
Moore said the Americans can't spare any firefighters to fight the Tatoosh fire, but the B.C. fire management team has a plan in place to fight the blaze, which is burning in the Pasayten river drainage, immediately east of the eastern boundary of Manning Park.
"We are planning and preparing for that fire," he said. "There's preliminary work being done now by the way of fire guards."
The greatest concern surrounding the Tatoosh fire is that it could threaten the 180 recreational residences in the eastern vicinity of Manning Park.
So far, no evacuation alerts have been issued although Moore says the residents have been made aware of the fire threat.
Meanwhile, U.S. authorities are placing their efforts on the Tripod fire, five kilometres south of Cathedral Park, near Keremeos, B.C.
The Tripod fire is currently the biggest forest fire in the U.S. burning at 60,800 hectares and is 54-per-cent contained.
Moore said that fire was "looking quite good and the guard containments are holding."
Moore added that other then recreational property in Manning Park, no towns are in the way the fires, just valuable wilderness areas.
Manning Park is one of the most popular destination areas in B.C.
Cathedral Park, near Keremeos, B.C., is under a fire advisory, meaning visitors should be prepared to evacuate the park on short notice.
Forecasting forest fires is not an exact science, said Moore.
"If the wind starts to blow, all bets are off," he said.
Dr. Nelson Ames, a medical health officer the Interior Health Authority, said common sense should dictate the appropriate action for people who suffer from the smoky air conditions.
"We have not seen a noticeable increase in people attending (hospitals)," said Ames.
He said air quality near a forest fire can change dramatically, even hour-to-hour.
"The main thing is to reduce exposure," he said.
[email protected]
[email protected]
Vancouver Province, with files from Lena Sin
© CanWest News Service 2006
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