Finlay Creek Fire

[WalterWhite]

The information abounds.....

Castanet 4 September 2017 9:19 AM
The Finlay Creek wildfire near Peachland is estimated to have grown to 1,500 hectares in size.

https://www.castanet.net/edition/news-s ... htm#205760

The CORD emergency site -

https://www.cordemergency.ca/updates/fi ... 09-04-1003

"Monday, September 4, 2017 - 10:03 AM
There was no substantial change to the Finlay Creek wildfire overnight. For more information about the condition of the fire, visit the BC Wildfire Service website at :


http://bcfireinfo.for.gov.bc.ca/hprScri ... neFire.asp "

So.... Castanet reports the fire has grown from 1000 ha to 1500 ha but CORD say "there was no substantial change" ???????????

CORD then says, "For more information go to the BC Fire Info (and provide a link) that information is dated Sunday September 3, 2017 at 6:56 PM ???????????????????????

What a JOKE !

Again - Updated aerial mapping versus previous visual estimations. (ETA: visual estimations in poor visibility conditions)

[willmath]

To all those people that are bored this summer because their camping trips, backcountry drives, smokey skies ... how about something different - VOLUNTEER ! When thousands of people are being evacuated, who do you think looks after getting them help ! It's volunteers from your neighborhood.

Look into Emergency Social Services - a volunteer group that runs Reception Centres and Group Lodging. 24/7 - there's a volunteer ready to help - you could be one

[Lazarus]

Here's a link to a provincial map that shows actual fire boundaries instead of the silly little flame icons or dots:

https://maps.gov.bc.ca/ess/hm/imap4m/?catalogLayers=1751,1752,1753

[my5cents]

Here's a link to a provincial map that shows actual fire boundaries instead of the silly little flame icons or dots:

https://maps.gov.bc.ca/ess/hm/imap4m/?catalogLayers=1751,1752,1753

Now THAT's better

Thanks Lazarus

[watchkat]

Like being in a war zone I imagine. The sky came to life two minutes ago..
3 silver large plane, a yellow bomber, another silver, two yellow bombers and then a last yellow bomber literally on each other's tails
I hear more as I type this. There is a puff of white smoke almost where it started originally, but the planes seem to headed more toward Darke Lake which would seem logical as that is where it spread toward yesterday.

[watchkat]

Here's a link to a provincial map that shows actual fire boundaries instead of the silly little flame icons or dots:

https://maps.gov.bc.ca/ess/hm/imap4m/?catalogLayers=1751,1752,1753

Yes, thank you. This proves my estimates as to how close it really was to Deep Creek and upper Peachland when evacuation alert was issued.scale shows it was 1.8 - 2km across from Princeton Ave and the huge orchard on the south side of the creek..

[watchkat]

A message from someone with a scanner
We have a new flare above you…bombers on it. Got big fast. And the original area, lots of new plumes.

[tsayta]

Cbc radio just aired a story. Something like Summerland water reservoir nearly emptied last night due to residents panic watering to wet down properties

[jvdlee]

Residents of the Faulder area west of Summerland are being asked to conserve water as the Finlay Creek wildfire burns nearby.

The Emergency Operations Centre reports the reservoir for the community water system was nearly drained dry Sunday night from residents over-watering their properties.



EOC spokesperson, Cameron Baughen, says regional district staff went door-to-door “to stop residents from potentially crippling the water system and advise them that they are only under an Alert and did not need to evacuate.”

Baughen says 75 people who have been evacuated from 55 properties have registered at the Emergency Reception Centre at the Summerland Arena and Curling Club.

[Queen K]

Over watering their properties or saving their life savings?

[Woodenhead]

Over watering their properties or saving their life savings?

If there's no water left in the reservoir, will the hydrants work? IDK if they even have hydrants, but either way I bet the water in the reservoir could be used for fighting the fire?

Anyway, insurance.

[ferri]

Cbc radio just aired a story. Something like Summerland water reservoir nearly emptied last night due to residents panic watering to wet down properties

Alarmed & using up water

https://www.castanet.net/news/West-Kelo ... g-up-water

[WalterWhite]

Cbc radio just aired a story. Something like Summerland water reservoir nearly emptied last night due to residents panic watering to wet down properties

Alarmed & using up water

https://www.castanet.net/news/West-Kelo ... g-up-water

Not pointing a finger directly at Castanet - but at media in general and the BC Wildfire communications. Better communication could have prevented this. Many are comparing the current fires in our area to those of 2003 and the direct difference in the level of communication of information. One would have thought after the 2003 fires that a new protocol for transferring information from the BC Wildfire Services to local and regional media would have been implemented as information was very good with the 2003 fires. Maybe Gerry Zimmerman should consider a run as media consultant during fire season for BC Wildfire Services. Having conditions at the point of residents "panicking" and depleting any resource, be it water fuel food etc. is unacceptable in today's digital age and social media. We should be getting bombarded with information - not retardant.

[my5cents]

Not pointing a finger directly at Castanet - but at media in general and the BC Wildfire communications. Better communication could have prevented this. Many are comparing the current fires in our area to those of 2003 and the direct difference in the level of communication of information. One would have thought after the 2003 fires that a new protocol for transferring information from the BC Wildfire Services to local and regional media would have been implemented as information was very good with the 2003 fires. Maybe Gerry Zimmerman should consider a run as media consultant during fire season for BC Wildfire Services. Having conditions at the point of residents "panicking" and depleting any resource, be it water fuel food etc. is unacceptable in today's digital age and social media. We should be getting bombarded with information - not retardant.

BC Wildfire has a site, why the heck does it have old information and a caveat that it's information is likely incorrect and to check with the media.

The media, which is spotty at best and most of which (TV) based in Vancouver. When someone is under evacuation from the most expensive asset they have and the TV news has a 30 second segment that includes all the interior fires, then goes on with a 30 second segment on how bad the smoke from those fires is in Vancouver.

I'm of the opinion that if you inform people a vast majority will act appropriately.

Until friends from Fish Lake Rd were evacuated yesterday, I was under the misconception that if there was an evacuation order that there would be police stopping people from coming into the area (as well as looters). Nope, not a sole stopping anyone who wants to go there. ???

[iabnmwts382]

Not pointing a finger directly at Castanet - but at media in general and the BC Wildfire communications. Better communication could have prevented this. Many are comparing the current fires in our area to those of 2003 and the direct difference in the level of communication of information. One would have thought after the 2003 fires that a new protocol for transferring information from the BC Wildfire Services to local and regional media would have been implemented as information was very good with the 2003 fires. Maybe Gerry Zimmerman should consider a run as media consultant during fire season for BC Wildfire Services. Having conditions at the point of residents "panicking" and depleting any resource, be it water fuel food etc. is unacceptable in today's digital age and social media. We should be getting bombarded with information - not retardant.

I totally agree. My family was impacted by the 2003 fire and it was most comforting having up to date information at our finger tips. Castanet was a god send to us then. And the radio stations. It was pretty much everywhere. We were glued to Castanet to see if and when we would need to evacuate and there was no guessing involved. I think for a lot of us that gave us a sense of "being in the know" with the latest information and that if there was anything that we needed to know we would know it and in a timely fashion. There is a lot of comfort in that in what is a scary and unpredictable situation. I think when you feel like you are not being kept in the loop it leads to a lot of needless speculation, fear and panic that can be avoided. It doesn't change the situation at hand but it can stop the fear and panic from rising.

I know those on the ground and in the air are busy doing what they need to do and don't need to be burdened with this task. There are Information Officers that perform this role and in my opinion could be doing a more thorough job. Maybe some reporters need to demand more information? I don't know what the answer is but I do know that it can be better.