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91Ƶ: Elora van Jarrett 91Ƶ BC Wildfire Service crew leader

TODAY IN B.C.: Longtime firefighter has been stationed in Salmon Arm, Port Alberni
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During the summer of 2022, more than 40,000 hectares of forest has burned in British Columbia, with approximately 1,200 firefighters battling wildfires, working 12-to-14-hour days.

Elora van Jarrett leads a 20-person crew, the Port Alberni Thunderbirds, that has been fighting a fire of more than 7,000 hectares in Keremeos.

91ƵIt certainly had its challenges, a lot of the fire line was down in the community there, but by the time I got there, it had worked its way up onto the mountainside and that91Ƶs a lot of work, but it seems a lot more achievable and less stressful when you91Ƶre not right up against people91Ƶs homes,91Ƶ van Jarrett said, noting approximately 40 per cent of forest fires are human-caused.

91ƵA fire can move incredibly fast, aircraft can91Ƶt do anything when a fire has gained a ton of momentum and is burning what we call at rank six, the highest fire behaviour that we have on our ranking scale. If it91Ƶs burning at that intensity, there91Ƶs essentially nothing that we can do at that point,91Ƶ van Jarrett said.

The veteran of 15 firefighting seasons said: 91ƵFighting fires in B.C. is rewarding in so many ways, it91Ƶs physically demanding, yes, but that feels like a great achievement, the best feeling is when you just worked so hard and put it all out on the line, and you come out at the end of the day just feeling invigorated but exhausted, that91Ƶs my favourite day.91Ƶ

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Peter McCully

About the Author: Peter McCully

Peter has been a broadcaster and publisher on both of Canada91Ƶs coasts and has owned a small newspaper and run an advertising agency along the way.
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