Langley Township’s fire department is preparing for some of its crews to be called to the Interior to help fight the hundreds of forest fires burning since last week.
“We are currently reviewing our resources and members available in the event we do get the request,” said assistant chief Bruce Ferguson.
Requests have started to come to local fire departments for help in the Cariboo and Interior regions, where highways are closed, houses have burned, and towns such as 100 Mile House have been evacuated.
Ferguson said he would not be surprised if a request for help comes in soon.
Conditions are also dry in Langley, but so far there have not been a significant number of brush and grass fires.
A small grass fire on Sunday was quickly extinguished.
“We’ve had a few, but not like we’ve seen in previous summers,” said Ferguson.
Some dry years have seen numerous brush fires and grass fires across the Langleys. Many of them are caused by cigarettes tossed from cars or discarded in bark mulch or grass medians.
The most serious in recent years was a 20-acre blaze that tore down the side of the Trans Canada Highway near 248th Street, coming close to several homes, in 2010.
Donation opportunities to help those displaced by the wildfires are springing up. BC Liquor Stores announced Monday that customers can donate at the till, in increments of $2, $5, or multiples thereof, with all proceeds going directly to the Red Cross.
The funds are to help the evacuees with needs such as food, shelter, and water.
– More to come