It’s a tricky and dangerous fire.
That’s how Delta officials summed up a growing blaze that’s now reportedly reached over 50 hectares in size at Burns Bog, a fire which is now threatening the nearby Tilbury Industrial Park.
Firefighters from across the Lower Mainland and several air tankers and helicopters are battling the stubborn fire, which the B.C. Wildfire Service says started just before noon Sunday in an unforested area on the west side of the bog, between 76th and 80th streets. The fire started in an area where several transmission and repeating towers for radio stations are located, destroying a couple of the structures.
Thick smoke could be seen for miles around as the wind blew to the east for several hours. It then started blowing northward towards Highway 17, helping the fire jump the highway. It forced the evacuation of the Tilbury Industrial Park.
A command centre has been set up at Delta municipal hall where Mayor Lois Jackson, police chief Neil Dubord and fire chief Dan Copeland held a press conference late Sunday afternoon to update the public on the situation.
Copeland said his department took quick action, notifying the B.C. Wildfire Management Branch which quickly mobilized resources and set up an on-site incident command post.
“Our structural fire fighters are maintaining a perimeter, protecting the industrial area of Tilbury. We have approximately 40 of our fire fighters on-site and Wildfire Management Branch and Metro Vancouver Parks have mobilized and have about the same amount of fire fighters,” he said.
“We’re struggling. We had heavy winds this afternoon and they were a bit unpredictable. They were shifting on us and it was quite a dynamic fire.”
Copeland said the wind is the biggest factor right now. He also noted bog fires are particularly dangerous as they can seep underground. The bog also has a number of soft surface areas which also pose a hazard.
He said one fire fighter was injured and rushed to hospital. That fire fighter, who is listed in stable condition, was not injured as a result of the fire, but Copeland would not go into detail how the injury occurred.
Dubord noted road closures are in effect at the South Fraser Perimeter Road (Highway 17), from the highways 17A and 17 junction, all the way to Nordel Way, as well as River Road from 62B Street all the way to Nordel. There’s also a marine closure for vessels so that water bombers can retrieve water from the Fraser River.
He noted emergency crews are also dealing with a separate incident where a vehicle has rolled over at an off-ramp at Highway 99 at Highway 17A.
Jackson said things looked contained earlier in the day before the wind shifted, catching crews by surprise.
“We’re throwing everything we’ve got at this fire to try and get it out as soon as we can. Obviously it’s a very tricky fire to fight…one thing I’d like to ask the public is please keep away from this area,” she said.
There’s no indication what caused the fire. Officials will send out another update later tonight.
The last major fire in the bog occurred in 2005.
