'We will continue to protest' Chetwynd's Mayor disputes closure of Northern Initial Attack Base

CHETWYND -- The District of Chetwynd is firing back at claims made by B.C.’s Minister of Forests on the closure of the Northern Initial Attack Base.

In a follow-up letter presented during an April 18^th PPRD Regional Board Meeting, Chetwynd Mayor Allen Courtoreille disputed line-by-line claims made by Bruce Ralston justifying the closure.

“Your letter does not alleviate our concerns and we will continue to protest this arbitrary decision that significantly increases the risk to our region,” said Courtoreille.

According to Ralston, the base was closed on December 15^th, 2023 due to the absence of full-time staff and aging infrastructure.

Courtorielle says the year-round crew had no intention of leaving prior to the closure, and provincial efforts to shore-up wildfire crews wouldn't make staffing the base an issue.

“During the March 27 Seasonal Update for Mayors and Chairs you referred to increasing permanent wildfire staff by 50% and doubling the number of new recruits,” said Courtoreille.

As for the condition of the base, Courtorielle agreed that the base was in ‘deplorable condition’ but argued that the expense to replace the base and adjacent staff lodging would be significantly less than replacing infrastructure destroyed by wildfire due to delayed response times.

The delayed response times have been a sticking point for the district, who will see their crews moved to the Dawson Creek Fire Zone and deployed via helicopter when warranted.

Courtorielle said the move would result in fires in areas past Chetwynd, such as Pine Pass, having delayed response times of 'at least'  an hour.

“Any new delay in response times is in fact a reduction in service,” said Courtoreille.

Courtoreille adds the province’s intention to replace the base with a forward attack facility has not been fulfilled, and the expectations of the service have not been made clear.

“We have not experienced what you refer to as the ‘expansion of BC Wildfire Service’ nor do we feel that the BC Wildfire Service considers us to be in any way a priority,” said Courtoreille.

The letter comes following public petition and letters of support from surrounding communities and MLAs calling on the move to be reversed.

“We urge you one again in the strongest possible terms to revisit this decision and help keep our NIFAC base located in Chetwynd to continue to effectively serve our region,” said Courtoreille.

The letter was submitted April 5^th, 2024, with the district calling for a timely response from the minister to minimize any potential risk to residents.