Finlay Creek Fire

[Artist]

I don't get it. Is there some kind of 'news fatigue ' going on with fires? I thought there would be major reporting going on. Castanet in scene, interviews, updates, all kinds of near live updates. I don't give a rat's a$s about the ipe. Where's the info?

News people are not allowed on or close to the fire lines. They are treated the same as public, not trained and not safe. Having said that the Information officers, from what I have seen need to be more diligent in keeping the news people informed. Of course in fairness they struggle for information also and the Incident Commander and Operations Supervisor are busy doing what their priority is, and that is fire control.

Fair enough, (and not arguing with you, just saying), that during the '03 fires, AM1150 was on air pretty much around the clock, sharing what little information they may have had, but more importantly, connecting with the community and taking live calls from listeners. For a lot of those people impacted by the fires who had few people to talk to, live on-air radio was (and is) a key "life-line". Radio-listeners were also able to connect with folks in the "fire zone." So, today, for example, given the fact that there is currently a large potentially threatening fire burning and moving within the borders of our community, a re-run of theToronto-based "Barb Digiulio Show" and "Fox Sports" (which are on air as I write this), strike me as TOTALLY out of touch with where people's hearts and minds are at here locally today. I guess radio stations can air what they choose, but in terms of connecting with the community in the event of a fire, AM1150 definitely isn't what it used to be. During the recent fire in Lake Country, there was much more (and ongoing) live coverage of the event on CBC. I think that if a local radio station went "live", during a fire event, (as it did in '03, and as it could be doing today), all the pertinent info would begin to flow in by itself.

[voice of reason]

I don't get it. Is there some kind of 'news fatigue ' going on with fires? I thought there would be major reporting going on. Castanet in scene, interviews, updates, all kinds of near live updates. I don't give a rat's a$s about the ipe. Where's the info?

they sure kept up to date with the flooding this year but i do agree that fire coverage is lacking.this is pretty important to anyone who lives close to these fires.i think the big difference between now and the 03 fire season is there is no scanner and castanet doesnt have kelly hayes chasing ambulances anymore.they kind of just wait for a news release and then post it .no real effort to go out and collect the news themselves .especially on a sunday or evening.castanet in general is much more lacking in all news these days.lots of cat up a tree type of stories .not many live from the scene reports

[tsayta]

Plus it's hard to take those 15 year old reporters in the news videos seriously

[Fancy]

What's so hard about keeping to updates on the fire?

[watchkat]

Last night I received a facebook message from a friend in Glen Rosa.................here is a link. you are on evac alert. That link was headed Peachland News. Attached was the EMS Release #1 which stated I was one of the first 100 homes put on alert up here on upper Princeton Ave. Imagine my surprise it was almost 10pm, most were in bed as they are seniors and tV is crap during the summer. I phoned three in the area to tell them and they were surprised and shocked.........no one knew! I contacted the Pinehills park manager and she also knew nothing of the alert which affects 40 homes of the 100.

I got to thinking about this and contacted, or tried to contact the fire chief, or any city official. Got an answering service and explained that I wanted to talk to someone about the fact that it appears the EMS sent the information to Peachland News....if so they only publish on Thursdays! and so what use was that? She said only water dept etc was on call......I said okay tell them I would like to talk to them...................minutes later answering service called back.........."it is just an alert, if you have problems with that, you can call ems and I will give you the number. I knew it was hopeless, but I tried to explain that odds were very few knew of the alert as many are seniors and don't have internet connections that they follow daily. Even the younger persons were not looking for evac. information at this point. I said this is not right..........when the police etc knock on doors and tell them to get out at 3am, they will have had not warning to pack.

I still can't understand it..............they said it was 7.5km sw of Peachland, issued an evac alert and we could see the smoke and flames and I calculated from their own fire map topographic with the scale on it and we were closer to 2-3km from it last night. The shock wave from that explosion felt like something hit the side of our home. I checked and nothing there, it was shock wave.

I just wonder......every christmas the fire trucks come through Peachland with loud speakers on Christmas eve playing songs.............considering the time of night it was issued......could they not have driven the upper area with speaker announcing the area was on evac alert? It was 10pm at night and it certainly wasn't expected given the "misinformation" as to how close it was to the area.

Just askin...........

[tsayta]

Smoke stream visible from space. Lower one is diamond fire, upper is finlay

image hosting api

[Alex2255]

So Castanet is reporting a large bang in/ around the fire. It makes sense it was the propane tank at Steve's old cabin. The cabin is abandoned but the propane tank at the back is full. It is the large style you would find at a gas station. Lets hope everyone is okay. If it was that tank then the fire has gone through the Garnet Valley Road area and Ackland mountain Area.

[Always Sunny]

Off topic

[Fancy]

I really hope not to read anything about comic relief or anything else stupid because this is about information. And the subject is serious.

[firefox0085]

There were not enough fire-fighters put on this fire when it was 10 hectares. Only six or seven, and that is not nearly enough to even cool it down, if you have water. I'm a Fire Boss, with many years' experience, I'd want 20 or so FF's. I realize they may all be elsewhere; that I don't know. But it's un-likely you could stop an escape, with only 7 guys...

[Backroads]

On reporting: I had a chat with an informed reporter from Castanet last night just off Princeton. He had come from Penticton to see and speak with crews personally, and did so. A great reason why the new versions of local news are worth supporting.

[Farmmaa]

There were not enough fire-fighters put on this fire when it was 10 hectares. Only six or seven, and that is not nearly enough to even cool it down, if you have water. I'm a Fire Boss, with many years' experience, I'd want 20 or so FF's. I realize they may all be elsewhere; that I don't know. But it's un-likely you could stop an escape, with only 7 guys...

I was wondering the same thing.
Reports the other day stated that there are some 20 fire fighters on the ground at the Philpott fire...a 465 hectare fire that they have contained enough to allow all residents back home.

Last night, 7 fire fighters were left to fight this new fire....and it grew by ten times.
And so....they once again announce that there is a ground crew of seven tonight ?!!

[wanderer]

There were not enough fire-fighters put on this fire when it was 10 hectares. Only six or seven, and that is not nearly enough to even cool it down, if you have water. I'm a Fire Boss, with many years' experience, I'd want 20 or so FF's. I realize they may all be elsewhere; that I don't know. But it's un-likely you could stop an escape, with only 7 guys...

I was wondering the same thing.
Reports the other day stated that there are some 20 fire fighters on the ground at the Philpott fire...a 465 hectare fire that they have contained enough to allow all residents back home.

Last night, 7 fire fighters were left to fight this new fire....and it grew by ten times.
And so....they once again announce that there is a ground crew of seven tonight ?!!

Is the province still in a State of Emergency? This allows firefighters from other areas to cross boundaries to assist fighting fires in other areas.

[maryjane48]

i dont think that is the issue here. the issue is other bigger fires still threatning structures and what not .

[Lore]

There were not enough fire-fighters put on this fire when it was 10 hectares. Only six or seven, and that is not nearly enough to even cool it down, if you have water. I'm a Fire Boss, with many years' experience, I'd want 20 or so FF's. I realize they may all be elsewhere; that I don't know. But it's un-likely you could stop an escape, with only 7 guys...

This may be the reason why.
http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/british-c ... -1.4251537