100 Mile House Forest Protection Officer Chris Betuzzi recently participated in the wildfire-fighting efforts at the enormous Timmins 9 fire in Ontario.
It was the largest fire burning in Canada at the time.
On May 23, Betuzzi, two other supervisors and 80 firefighters from British Columbia flew out from Prince George to Thunder Bay, where they underwent a day-long orientation in Ontario firefighting policies.
From there, the group went to the scene of the fire, which was slightly less than 40,000 hectares in size.
The interface fire was threatening numerous houses where residents had been evacuated, but Betuzzi says the Ontario government had arranged sprinkler systems in yards and on roofs to help prevent the spread.
Betuzzi also flew overhead to have a look at the scene and saw it was smouldering rather than blazing due to previous efforts and some rain, which had ironically put Thunder Bay on a flood watch.
He adds it was a typical spring fire where the seasonal dampness kept the fire above the ground.
"It was quite an interesting fire. A very significant mop up is what the crews were doing, which is extinguishing the smaller hot spots along the perimeter of the main fire. The smaller fires the crews had to put out were smouldering logs and an occasional aerial tree [fire]."
During the course of the next 12 days, Betuzzi says he supervised the team's work, requiring him to travel back and forth from the base camp to the firefighting front.
Many of the crews camped near the fire, he notes, with a lake or other water source nearby to limit their risk.
He explains his role as safety officer ensured the B.C. crew was adequately protected and followed the stricter standards of the two provinces' procedures.
For the most part, WorkSafeBC has the tightest standards, Betuzzi says, with a few minor exceptions.
He notes the folks there were very accommodating in providing their western workmates with whatever was needed, including "more than enough" food.
"We were treated almost like royalty. Ontario goes out of its way to ensure our needs are met. If [crews] wanted, they could have steak every night."
They didn't request that, but Betuzzi says B.C. firefighters also appreciated the stretcher kits they require at the work site, which Ontario doesn't, were promptly provided.
By the end of the trip, he notes virtually all evacuees had returned to their homes and no visible burning remained, which was attributed to the combined efforts of all the firefighters, as well as some additional rain.
All the firefighters flew back home safe and sound on June 8, after a short debriefing.
"We had zero injuries, which was a bonus. Because firefighting, even in the mop-up stages, is still a high level of risk."