Sr RePEc hd ee i met Smoke jumpers get ready to drop in on forest fires as part of pilot project PREPARE TO see determined fighters drop out of the sky this summer and parachute into the forests. They’re priming for combat, but the war they’re waging won't be against a belligerent nation. They will be wp against an enemy which can be even more dangerous and destructive: fire. For the first time in B.C., parattack troops or smoke jumpers, as they’ve often been called, will help fight forest fires. Stationed at the Northwest Fire Centre in Smithers, the 18 ‘‘parattackers’” —- six, three-person crews — will be used to battle blazes wherever they're needed across the province, starting June 1. When it gets off the ground, it will be the only exist- ing program in Canada, A two-year pilot project, the parattack strategy is expected to save $300,000, based on a normal fire season, says Bruce Hutchinson, acting Northwest Fire Centre manager. “We did an economic analysis and we thought it could pay off,’’ he says. The fire centre didn’t receive additional money to Start the program; instead, the money will be found wilhin the centre’s regular budget. The U.S. Forest Service is donating parachute equipment, while the plane will be rented by the hour from a Vancouver company. Over the years, the cost of fighting fires had been steadily increasing, Hutchinson says, and the centre ig looking for ways to bring costs down. Smoke jumpers have been used to fight fires since the Sec- ond World War, in the Yukon, the United States, and even Russia, he says. Using a 12-seat Sky Van plane, which can carry at least 1,575 kilograms (most helicopters can’t lift that payload), up to nine parattackers will fly to blazes to conduct the initial attack, as well as transport equip- ment, Wearing protective Keviar suits and helmets, and with a parachute strapped to their backs, the firefighters will dive out of the plane and drop down into the smoking forest. Their equipment will follow them, attached to a cargo parachute. Helicopters will still be used to pick up crew and equipment after the job is done. According to Hutchinson, previous parattack pro- grams have proven the method extremely safe. He says no smoke jumper has ever died due to a failure of the parachute. Gord Munro, a forest control officer with the North- west Fire Centre, says he used to work with the forest service in the Yukon while they had a smoke jumping program. ‘“It was very effective,’’ he says. It was later canceled due to restructuring within the fire lighting program and because of ‘‘political reasons,”’ he says. Using the plane will allow the fire centre to send more crew and equipment to the scene with a quicker response time. Whereas the helicopters now in use can only fly 160 kilometres per hour, the Sky Van is able to reach 290 kilometres per hour — and be any- where in the province within an hour and a half, Hutchinson says, Parattack crews will be used mainly to suppress fires ignited by lightning, which usually occur in remote areas and in clusters. Another benefit of using the airplane is that it can drop some crews off at one fire, then continue on to other blazes with the remain- ing firefighters, he says. The crew members, half of whom are from the northwest, will undergo a two-week training course at a temporary base in Ganokwa Creek on Old Babine Lake Road outside of Smithers before they set up shop in a hangar at the Smithers airport. The new and the old FIRE IS among the oldest phenomenon known to mankind. Computers are among the newest. When old and new collide, B.C.’s landscapes, residents and visitors reap the benefits. The B.C. Forest Service Protection Pro- gram uses aircraft with swifter engines and global positioning systems (GPS) that can quickly guide planes to a pinpoint location. But the largest strides in fire fighting have becn far away from the flames. Today, saphisticated computers in Minis- try of Forests’ facilities in Victoria and around the province allow fire staff to: * track lightning storms and strikes which can trigger multiple new fires; * monitor detailed aviation information such as an aircraft’s location, direction of travel and speed; * monitor the condition of wildland areas, including the temperature, moisture level, potential for a fire to spread quickly and overall likelihood of a fire starting; While computers are now an important part of fire control, the public also plays a valuable role. Computer screens can tell us essential information about the fire hazard, our crews and our aircraft, but it’s the people enjoying B.C.’s beautiful out- doors who have the power to prevent roughly half of ail fires that strike the pro- vince. Please be careful with fire. Remember to always dispose of cigareites in a vehicle ashtray or ensure they are out cold if you are in the bush. For campers, here’s a simple recipe to help you to fully ex- tinguish your campfire: just add water and stir until cold. If you see a wildfire, please report it to the BC Forest Service at 1-800-663-5555. David Zimhelt CITY OF TERRACE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT DEPT. “The City of Terrace salutes forestry businesses and workers for their commitment to our community. We are committed to working with our #1 industry to ensure a bright future.” 3215 Eby St. Terrace BC V8G 2X8 Phone: 638-4725 Fax: 638-4777 A NEW KIND of firefighter will be in the northwest this year as smoke jumpers set up shap at the Smithers airport, home of the forest service's Northwest Fire Centre. They'll be the only one of their kind in Canada and will use equipment donated by their American counterparts. Take care By DAVID ZIRNHELT MINISTER OF FORESTS THE THEME for this year’s National Forest Week, ‘‘Canada’s Forests ... Handle With Care,” is timely, given the challenges the government, forest scctor and com- munities around British Columbia are presently facing. Ensuring that the province’s most impor- tant natural resource is managed ‘in a sustainable manner is critical to the eco- nomic and social well-being of the forest industry and all British Columbians. The B.C. Forest Service plays a key rale in managing our forests, B.C.’s public (Crown) forests cover two-thirds of the pro- vince. As the steward of this resource, the ministry develops and implements policies to regulate and protect the ways in which the forests are harvested and maintained. The Forest Service also plays a role in preserving the non-economic values-such of forests as recreation, cultural, social and spiritual- in the province’s forests, ; Fulfilling this role involves many ac- tivities: fire protection; the timber supply review for long-range planning of sustainable harvest levels; researching new methods for cutting timber aud protecting forest ecosystems; public education; nurs- ery and seed operations; andso forth. Key to all of these activitics is the minis- try’s responsibility to set forest manage- ment standards, and I am proud to say that British Columbia is a world leader in this way. This province has the mosl comprehen- sive and environmentally sound forest prac- tices slandards in the world, J encourage you to attend the National Forest Week activilies being held in your area to learn how British Columbia takes care of its forests and sustains il for future gencrations. IWA - Canada commits itself to the establishment and maintenance of fully sustainable forestry. Forestry that leaves to future generations of Canadians a rich endowment of fish and wildlife, soils capable of sup- porting varied ecosystems, and commercial forests managed so as to provide many more jobs and the wide range of forest recreations that Canada values.