For many countries in the northern hemisphere, summertime is wildfire season. If you live in Canada, and you’ve been watching the news coming out of the British Columbia (BC) interior since mid-June, you know that a dangerous combination of wind, low humidity and lightning has started hundreds of fires that have burned huge swaths of forest and threatened communities throughout the province.
Firefighters have been making superhuman efforts to suppress fires even as weather patterns work against them. As well, personnel and equipment are being sent from across the country to help local workers.
Aside from the people and machinery at work, another resource is being employed during this emergency. Water (even though not much is falling naturally from the sky) is central to firefighting efforts. Municipal piping systems, trucks, firefighter backpacks and water bombers all play roles in getting water to the places where it is needed.
Water bombers are probably the most visible of these methods. Depending on the type of plane or helicopter, these aircraft can carry thousands of gallons of water or water/fire retardant mixture to spots that are difficult to reach on foot or in a vehicle. These aircraft are so crucial that in recent days BC fire officials have started to issue warnings to boaters and swimmers to stay out of certain lakes because they are interfering with water bomber operations.
At LuminUltra, we work in a different part of the water industry but we recognize the essential nature of our most precious resource. We wish everyone in BC all the best through the rest of the 2017 wildfire season.
