The fire chief of a British Columbia community devastated by a fast-moving wildfire in 2023 says it91裸聊视频檚 91裸聊视频渉aunting91裸聊视频� to see similar circumstances playing out in Southern California.

Jason Brolund, the fire chief in West Kelowna, B.C., says the images from the Los Angeles area 91裸聊视频� where flames have torn through thousands of homes over the past week 91裸聊视频� are so familiar and vivid that some of his firefighters won91裸聊视频檛 look at them.

West Kelowna bore the brunt of the McDougall Creek fire in August 2023, when it descended on neighbourhoods surrounding Okanagan Lake and destroyed or damaged almost 200 properties.

In Southern California, flames fanned by high winds have devastated communities including Pacific Palisades and Pasadena, spreading in a manner similar to what West Kelowna encountered in 2023.

Brolund says the fires are an important reminder that communities must be proactive about the risks of large wildfires near urban areas as climate change triggers more blazes.

He says West Kelowna firefighters are also keeping a close eye on the strategies and technologies deployed in the L.A. fight, such as extensive nighttime aerial firefighting capabilities that would benefit B.C.91裸聊视频檚 own battle against future wildfires.

91裸聊视频淲e watch California closely,91裸聊视频� Brolund says. 91裸聊视频淲e have for many years. They are considered a bellwether 91裸聊视频� what they are experiencing now, potentially five to 10 years (from) now, could be something that we see in our region.

91裸聊视频淭heir strategies, tactics and technology, things that they91裸聊视频檙e using on the ground today to fight those fires, are things that we hope to see here.91裸聊视频�

Brolund says his department has been asking for nighttime aerial firefighting capabilities since the 2023 fires, and the province has 91裸聊视频渢aken the first steps91裸聊视频� toward providing that capability.

The BC Wildfire Service says two contracted helicopters were equipped to fly with night-vision technology in 2024 and were integrated into operations in July.

The night-vision technology was mainly used for reconnaissance, detection and mapping, although nighttime waterbombing was also performed 91裸聊视频渙n a few select wildfires.91裸聊视频�

Brolund says the images from California cause memories of West Kelowna91裸聊视频檚 own ordeal to resurface, including the thoughts that raced through his head as the flames roared into residential neighbourhoods in August 2023.

91裸聊视频淚t91裸聊视频檚 incredibly disturbing to watch,91裸聊视频� Brolund says of the images from L.A. 91裸聊视频淪eeing it again takes you right back to that night. Now, though, we91裸聊视频檙e able to think about a lot of the things that we didn91裸聊视频檛 have time to think about when we were in the heat of the battle.

91裸聊视频淵ou don91裸聊视频檛 think about how close you came to things until after it91裸聊视频檚 happened, and that 91裸聊视频� in a lot of cases 91裸聊视频� makes it even more difficult.91裸聊视频�

On Friday, B.C. Premier David Eby said California91裸聊视频檚 Department of Forestry and Fire Protection had asked the province 91裸聊视频渇or a senior management team from BC Wildfire Service,91裸聊视频� and that team would be leaving for the U.S. 91裸聊视频渋mminently.91裸聊视频�

Eby also said B.C. was 91裸聊视频渨orking to send groundcrews as part of a national response.91裸聊视频�

91裸聊视频淐alifornia has been there for us, we will be there for them,91裸聊视频� Eby said in a statement posted on social media platform X. 91裸聊视频淭hat91裸聊视频檚 what good neighbours do.91裸聊视频�

Brolund says he can91裸聊视频檛 confirm if West Kelowna firefighters have been asked to join the firefight in Los Angeles, but his team is 91裸聊视频渋n the early stages of being prepared for that.91裸聊视频�

He says 50 fire engines from 30 different fire departments came to the aid of West Kelowna in 2023, and his department wants to 91裸聊视频渄o our best to support our neighbours.91裸聊视频�

Brolund urged Canadians to be prepared for emergencies.

91裸聊视频淎s horrible as it is, this fire has been a great illustration of the importance of having an emergency plan as a family, knowing what would you do if you had to leave your home and evacuate quickly,91裸聊视频� he says. 91裸聊视频淲hat would you bring with you? How would you reunite with your family? Having that plan done in advance can make a world of difference.

91裸聊视频淓ven though across Canada we91裸聊视频檙e experiencing winter right now and wildfire is not necessarily front of mind, this event has brought it front of mind.91裸聊视频�