Fire Season Is here!

July 15, 2015 11:23 am Published by Greg Spence 1 Comment

The past few weeks have been very eventful, I was lucky enough to go on a work trip with the planning department to Anahim Lake shortly after I wrote my last blog. During our trip we stayed at an incredible lodge with great food right on the lake. Our work days consisted of venturing into the bush to collect site plan data for proposed harvest blocks. Working with the planning department was definitely a nice change for a few days, I again, got to use some of the skills I learned at BCIT, such as identifying soil types and vegetation cover. In the evening when we came back from the field we would take the canoes out fishing or play cards in the cabin and relax. The trip became a great team building experience and allowed me to work with some of the woods department member that I have not been able to work with yet.

Canoeing in Anahim Lake

As the title of this blog states: fire season in British Columbia is here. This year suddenly has become a very bad year for fires. Where I am at in Williams Lake there are currently no fires within the immediate area, however, the Puntzi Lake fire is between my location and Anahim Lake. Some of the woods division staff at the Williams Lake West Fraser Office have been going out to help with line location and fire plans, I unfortunately have not been able to experience that yet. As I mentioned before, there are no fires within the immediate vicinity of town, but the other day the wind picked up and blew smoke from Puntzi Lake into town. As the smoke filled the valley visibility got to around 350 feet and the smell of forest fire filled the air. Experiencing the high volume of fresh forest fire smoke made me grateful that there are no fires close to town.

Smoke accumulation in town

I received news this week that my work partner Hannah, and myself would be heading to do some camp work again, but this time out east on Quesnel Lake. I am really excited for the opportunity to head out east for camp work, the scenery is incredible and the climate and vegetation is more coastal due to the close proximity of the Cariboo Mountains. Starting on Tuesday we will be staying in Elysia Resort in Horsefly BC, boating 60km up to the north arm of the lake every morning to the site and back in the evening. The next weeks I am working there we will be barging out a trailer to stay on right on site, which should be very interesting as it is such a wild place being that the only access is by boat. The nature of the work we will be carrying out will be deactivation of some roads that West Fraser had on some old permits from 5 years ago. The next month will be a great opportunity to learn the basics of road deactivation and sediment control. When I write next I will be back from my first camp week out east.

Barging out a supply trailer to the Killdog site on Quesnel Lake

Until next time!