When a crew of 22 B.C. wildland firefighters arrived in Los Angeles last week to help locals battle historic fires that are still ravaging the region, one stark difference stood out compared to wildfires on home soil.
“Everything here is super-sized,” said the BC Wildfire Service’s Robert Bardossy in an interview from a fire camp in Santa Clarita, just outside Los Angeles.
“We were on the initial attack response on a huge fire here with approximately 3500 - 4000 other responders.”
Unlike most wildland firefighting in B.C., the battles in and around Los Angeles are happening in densely populated areas.
“They’re really stacked in here. Residences everywhere, dams, hydro plants, towers. Our incidents at times do involve communities and urban interface. Here, it’s just common practice,” said Bardossy.
“So the crews are getting a real valuable experience here.”
The B.C. crew began its two-week deployment on the Eaton fire, which destroyed nearly 9,500 structures. It is now battling the Hughes fire.
“The crews on the line, they’re cutting line every day, securing lines, running saws, digging dirt, putting in hoses, extinguishing the fires on the perimeter,” said Bardossy.
“They do more with less when it comes to the water. A lot of saw work, a lot of hand line work. That’s one of the biggest takeaways here, is the crews are really getting that look at what firefighting looks like without the use of water,” he said.
The B.C. crew is also learning about fire prevention techniques in tinder dry Los Angeles.
“One thing that I am noticing is their fuel management mitigation. Crews are always working to clear brush, not just fire crews, all the different layers of jurisdiction throughout the organization,” said Bardossy.
He said he’s also noticed how service dogs are being used to calm and de-stress fire crews at the end of their shift.
“They had a hard day and after the interaction they’ve got a jump in their step. The dog really made a difference. It was quite interesting to see,” said Bardossy.
While politicians in Canada and the U.S. are battling over potential tariffs, there’s nothing but respect and admiration on the fire line.
“We have a common objective. So, our experience here has been great. No tension whatsoever,” Bardossy said.
The B.C. crew will return home Jan. 30.
