'The Chetwynd base will remain operational' BC Wildfire Service confirms crews stationed at Northern Initial Attack Base

CHETWYND -- The BC Wildfire Service is setting the record straight on response times and crew availability in Chetwynd this wildfire season, as disputes over the Northern Initial Attack base linger.

“It is only the live-on portion of the base that has closed,” said Sharon Nickel of the Prince George Fire Centre.

In a statement to CJDC-TV, the BC Wild Service says the base will remain operational and staffed based on wildfire activity in the area.

“As it pertains to operations and response in Chetwynd, once our prep levels determine that hazard or expected activity in the area are high, response personnel will be stationed at the base, “ said Nickel.

Nickel adds that there are a number of variables that go into response times when a fire is discovered, including whether the person reporting the fire is in a location with cell service.

One average, 40 per cent of fires are reported by the public.

According to the BC Wildfire Service, once a report is received to the Provincial Wildfire Reporting Centre, it is sent to the local fire centre where teams coordinatre with a Regional Wildfire Officer and the Zone Wildfire Coordination Officer to determine the proper response.

The response can vary depending on the scope of the wildfire, with either a response officer, crew, or apparatus dispatched.

There are cases where the BC Wildfire Service responds based on a request from a municipal or volunteer fire department.

“The BC Wildfire Service will continue to respond to wildfires in the same manner and timeframes that it has in years previous, as conditions require and resource availability allows,” said Nickel.

Speaking in the legislature on May 6^th 2024, MLA Mike Bernier presented a petition on behalf of the residents of Chetwynd who say the province did not property consulate the district before deciding to close the base with the intention of replacing it a Forward Attack Facility.

“I rise to present a petition from hundreds of people in the District of Chetwynd who are calling on the Minister of Forests to listen to them, reverse his decision and keep the Northern Initial fire attack crew in Chetwynd,” said Bernier.

Minister of Forests Bruce Ralston citied the absence of a full-time staff and aging infrastructure resulted in the closure of the base on December 15^th 2023, with crews being relocated to the Dawson Creek Fire Centre.

Since then, mayors from surrounding districts and the PRRD have written letters to the minister calling for a reversal of a decision.

Community consultation, although a main sticking point, was not the biggest concern according to Brad Sperling of the PRRD.

“There remains the concern that travel by helicopter taking 20-30 minutes will result in a wildfire getting out of control during these times of extreme drought in the Peace Region," said Sperling.

The travel times have not impacted response times to any of the four wildfires that have sparked near Chetwynd this season.

“We understand that the topic of response times and availability of crews in Chetwynd is a topic on the mind of many folks in the northeast and our staff have spoken on this topic several times already this season,” said Nickel.