Provincial wildfire officials are waiting to see if there’ll be enough firefighters available to increase the number they would like assigned to Houston this year.
Houston normally has nine B.C. Wildfire Service firefighters based in the community over the fire season and officials this year wanted that increased to 13.
But while the service has confirmed it’ll have nine firefighters back again, filling the remaining four positions remains very much in doubt.
“We were unable to hire a third [initial attack] crew due to a lack of applicants for crew leader positions,” said Kaitlyn Bailey from the wildfire service’s Northwest Fire Centre in Smithers.
The nine firefighters confirmed for Houston are two initial attack crews of four people each and a crew supervisor.
The service also employs a Houston-based full time wildfire technician.
Bailey said overall staffing through the Northwest Fire Centre area which stretches from the coast to Endako in the east and from the Yukon border to Tweedsmuir Park in the south has yet to be finalized.
“Newly hired firefighters attend new recruit boot camp in April and May and we will not know our staffing numbers until it is completed,” she added.
Geographically, the Northwest Fire Centre covers one-quarter of the province and bases crews and equipment in Terrace at the Northwest Regional Airport, in Hazelton, in Smithers and eastward to Burns Lake. Crews are also stationed as needed in Dease Lake.
“Like any large organization, year to year different locations may experience hiring challenges. Our crews are strategically placed across the fire centre and respond to fires based on priority, which is always to protect human life and safety first,” said Bailey.
“This is regardless of where the crew is based and crews within the Northwest Fire Centre and the province move to where they are needed. If BC Wildfire Service personnel are stretched to capacity, we can also call on other resources from local contract crews or from national and international partners.”
Wildfire service employees have already been busy this season in checking to see if there is any remaining heat from fire last year. They’ve been using drones for scanning and sending out people to fire locations.
As of late April, no heat spots have been detected at the Peacock Creek fire which last year forced evacuations and worries that it might spread into more populated areas.
Heat was, however, detected on one of last season’s fires, which is being called the Holdover Tekaiziyis Ridge fire.
“Industry actioned a smoldering debris pile and BC Wildfire Service continues to monitor it. This fire is located approximately 30 kilometres south of Houston,” said Bailey.
As of April 23, that fire was listed as being discovered on April 3. It was then estimated at .009 hectares its specific location was 3.5 kilometres southwest of Parrot Lakes.
More information about this fire can be found on the wildfire service website at: https://wildfiresituation.nrs.gov.bc.ca/incidents?fireYear=2024&incidentNumber=R20020