25-08-2003 14:18									#1
	Fire Threatens Kelowna Support Apolyton, buy Civilization 2

I haven't seen a thread on this topic, but as reported:

http://www.msnbc.com/news/956460.asp?0cv=CB20

A choice excerpt:

He likened the fire to a nuclear disaster. “Can you imagine the amount of energy released by 50,000 burning acres of timber? The mushroom clouds of smoke rise 30,000 feet.”

Friday night, residents packed their clothes and keepsakes into their vehicles and jammed the roads as the hills around them glowed orange with the flames. They found refuge in community centers, and with friends throughout the valley. Some even drove two hours to towns like Kamloops to find hotel rooms....

Unofficial reports say as many as 300 homes have been destroyed so far, 30,000 people ordered evacuated.


While I don't have any relatives, my girlfriend, and most of her mom's family have been evacuated over the weekend. Her family has lived in Kelowna for more than 100 years, with several orchards, all not to far from the last reported locations of the fire.

I visited just the last week, and you could see a much smaller fire at night, glowing on the hills, while during the day you could not see across Lake Okanagan due to all the smoke from the fire.

Hopefully the fire will be dying down, but then again, they said this on Thursday, before the fire grew 5 times.

Please keep these folks in your prayers, that the fire will be contained.

	25-08-2003 14:35									#2
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My sister and I have both spent time in Kelowna and Big White. Her boyfriends family live on the lake and were on evacuation notice two days ago so not sure what their status is now.

	25-08-2003 14:48									#3
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quote: Her boyfriends family live on the lake and were on evacuation notice two days ago so not sure what their status is now.

Well, if you know the address, I can help you find out. All the latest evacuation notices are on the net.

	25-08-2003 15:12									#4
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Actually they live in Peachland which is south of Kelowna.

	25-08-2003 15:23									#5
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Well that's not good, considering that the fire started south of Kelowna.

I've got to get to bed though, luckily no work tomorrow.

Anybody else know people from Kelowna?

	25-08-2003 15:45									#6
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Peachland is across the lake from the fire. It's not in any danger.

This reminds me of the big fire that hit Penticton, which is south of Kelowna when I worked there in 94. I wouldn't describe the smoke as a "mushroom cloud". With the Penticton fire, it was more like a solid wall of smoke rising up so high you couldn't the top.

An ex-colleague of mine lives in Naramata which is on the south side of the fire. So far it looks like the fire is spreading north. Hope it doesn't go south.

And damn shame about the park going up in flames. There were some nice trails through it.

	25-08-2003 16:44									#7
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Just think of all that pot going up in smoke....

not to mention the terrible human and natural disaster stuff of course.

	25-08-2003 18:06									#8
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I really hope they get it under control, and fast.

It must be massive, Calgary has nearly constantly been under a heavy cloud of smoke for a while now. And we're pretty far away...

Though that might be from a different fire,

	25-08-2003 18:12									#9
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My friend's parents live there. He's more than a little concerned, as you can imagine.

	26-08-2003 01:56									#10
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So what are the causes? Extreme drought? Logging practices? Both?

	26-08-2003 02:03									#11
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My sister and her family was evac'ed Friday. So far their house is still standing.

Extreme drought in an already arid part of the province is the main cause. Forestry fire suppression practices are, I believe, not a significant factor in the Okanagan but possibly moreso in the Kootenays.

	27-08-2003 21:50									#12
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I'm back, I have been quite busy the last few days.

quote: So what are the causes? Extreme drought? Logging practices? Both?

Mostly drought, since the fire started inside a Provincial park.

My girlfriend's family has been able to return to their home, but they are still on evacuation alert.

quote: Though that might be from a different fire,

Different fire. There is another in the Kootenays. Still, the southern BC interior has been riddled with fires this summer.

	27-08-2003 21:59									#13
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quote: Originally posted by Asher I really hope they get it under control, and fast. It must be massive, Calgary has nearly constantly been under a heavy cloud of smoke for a while now. And we're pretty far away... Though that might be from a different fire,

That's the smoke from the Calgary Flames.

	27-08-2003 22:04									#14
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If only they were ever on fire.

	27-08-2003 22:06									#15
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quote: Originally posted by Asher If only they were ever on fire.

You've made a lame joke very happy.

	27-08-2003 22:06									#16
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quote: That's the smoke from the Calgary Flames.

At least they have some passion, unlike the drained Toronto Maple Leafs. Power outages can't improve your team.

Do you happen to have an ontopic comment, Agathon?

	29-08-2003 18:02									#17
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Here's an update:

Most people have been allowed back into their homes, while remaining on evac alert.

So far about 450 houses have been destroyed.

The situation still is not settled, but could have been much, much worse.

	29-08-2003 18:32									#18
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It's a lovely area of B.C.- I enjoyed travelling through it. I hope it recovers from the fires quickly. I know some people in Vernon, but they're safe, thankfully. Here's to a few days of solid rain showers for you.

	29-08-2003 22:23									#19
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Thanks Molly. Even the current hot, dry weather is not a disaster for Kelowna as long as the winds stay down. But other fires keep springing up. Cranbrook is the latest place to be affected.

My sister, her husband and kids are all back at home, but on evac alert.

	30-08-2003 09:20									#20
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quote: Originally posted by obiwan18 At least they have some passion, unlike the drained Toronto Maple Leafs. Power outages can't improve your team.

The Leafs didn't notice the blackout. These days, they're constantly in the dark.

	30-08-2003 09:34									#21
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quote: Originally posted by Richelieu So what are the causes? Extreme drought? Logging practices? Both?

Fires are a natural part of the ecosystem. The problem is people are too damn stupid to realise this.

Firefighters have been warning people for years about the danger of building homes beside and in forests. But people don't listen. Home owners fail to take basic precautions, developers don't want to spend money to reduce fire risks, and local governments don't want to create fire protection regulations.

Only 3% of local governments in high fire risk areas require developers to use fire resistent material in new homes. Only 2% of these governments have regulations about clearing away brush and material that can burn.

About 35% of fire departments in high risk areas are not equipped to fight forest fires.

The BC auditor general did a study in 2001 about this problem. The report states:
"Firefighters admit that their success was largely a result of good fortune rather than good management ... it is only a matter of time before a fire will exceed their capability to contain."

"Measures known to be effective at limiting the likelihood of a wildfire spreading into a community ... are not being used."

http://www.aud.gov.bc.ca/PUBS/2001-...t1/sec1.htm#Key

The destruction caused by the Kelowna fire could have been prevented. Instead, Canadian taxpayers will be forking out millions of dollars to people who lost their homes. The people taking this money come from an area that always votes for rght-wing parties, you know the ones who constantly complain about paying taxes and government hand outs.