Telegraph Creek Fires – Community Update Meeting Minutes
Dease Lake Community Hall | August 22, 2018
Start time: 8:15 pm
End time: 8:45 pm
Feddie Louie – Director, EOC/ TBC Economic Development
- At the EOC we have new partners come in daily and we try to take care of any emergency matters that come up
- Some of our most vulnerable people were sleeping in tents, but Tanzilla Pub was kind enough to provide rooms for these people
- The Peoples Haven and ESS deserve a round of applause for their efforts and support during this difficult time
Hugh Murdoch – BC Wildfires
- Coming in again to manage the fires in the area
- Yesterday was a very big day, which was forecasted
- Very strong winds (80 to 50 km an hour)
- Three fires have now combined into one, at around 100,000 hectares
- It wasn’t 100,000 in the worst place possible places, there are still many pockets that have no been touched
- Another fire (shack creek) near Telegraph Creek was discovered a few days ago, which is now around 10,000 hectares
- Yesterday a vehicle rolled over in the ditch, a structure crew spend the night in Telegraph (they were safe but couldn’t get out), so these are some of the challenges we are facing adjacent to fire management. Dark skies came in very early, which prevented helicopters from getting to where they needed to go
- Today was a good day
- The road into TC was clear
- The fire jumped over the Stikine but most of the fire spread went away from the road
- The fire in the park is doing exactly what we want it to do – its backing against the wind
- The retardant was not effective, so we are developing alternative plans
- Fire crews continue to work to protect communities in the TC area
- The fire has gone beyond highland ranch
- The fire hasn’t made it to winter creek, there is a guard there that will hopefully buy us time
- Weather conditions will be more favourable over the next few days
- Specific updates for Lower Post Fire
- Our crews are supporting this fire and installing structure protection
- The community got support from the Yukon Fire Crews
- Assessments are being done to understand how many structures and homes were lost
- Specific update for Glenora
- A guard much closer to Glenora has/will be put in
- Protecting Glenora is a significant priority
- The community is at the back of the fire, with an increased chance of sun and burn
- We had helicopters bucking there today
- There will also be ground crews there tonight working on structure protections
Cam – Ministry of Indigenous Relations and Reconciliation
- Here to check-in and support the work happening at the EOC
Bob Miller – EMBC
- Supporting operations and the team at the EOC
- There has been no divide between the reserve boundaries and Glenora, which is amazing
- Haida, North Vancouver Fire Department has joined us in the EOC
- Things have been going well in the EOC and we are functioning at a very high capacity