Aircraft join battle against wildfire in wooded, marshy area of Richmond, B.C.

It's still kind of smokey around here tonight, has been all day. The haze has blocked much of the view to the NNE of me.

When I got home from work this afternoon it was weird to watch the 4 water bombers fly overhead just a bit to the north, heading to the fire then circling back to go get more water from the river.

This comes as no surprise:


First thing I said when I saw where the fire originated... I bet people are living in there...

Or as Fiddle calls it “nice weather”

These explosive fires are the result of decades of mismanagement. When the fire crews put out every little ground fire the forest builds up layers and layers of fuel and then when a fire finally occurs it burns everything including the crowns of the trees.

In a properly managed forest, like how most of North America used to be when the Natives ran the place, there were human set fires every year that cleared the ground brush.

This prevented explosive fires, it preserved the trees, and it was good for game because the fires cleared away brush for good grazing.

It's time we started paying attention to how the Natives ran things for 20,000 years.

These explosive fires are the result of decades of mismanagement. When the fire crews put out every little ground fire the forest builds up layers and layers of fuel and then when a fire finally occurs it burns everything including the crowns of the trees.

In a properly managed forest, like how most of North America used to be when the Natives ran the place, there were human set fires every year that cleared the ground brush.

This prevented explosive fires, it preserved the trees, and it was good for game because the fires cleared away brush for good grazing.

It's time we started paying attention to how the Natives ran things for 20,000 years.

The major reason for the magnitude of this fire is that it is burning in a massive peat bog. Once the peat starts burning it is nearly impossible to extinguish it no matter how much water you pour onto it. It could take weeks or months to put it out, maybe even until the major rainy season starts.

Yesterday was horizon to horizon smoke in these parts. Went out to the jeep and put the roof back on, too late! Upholstery covered with ash and burnt needles.
News reports said BC was blanketed with smoke from all over, California, Southern BC, even fires in Europe.
The ash and burnt needles were from much closer - Fraser Lake.