27 Jul 2009
Edited Fire Inquiry of 2003 Prevented Helping BC Forest Fires of 2009
Posted by Thermo Guy under General
Reminiscent of 2003 when a high category forest fire interfaced with Kelowna, B.C., we just got more of the same in 2009 with costs to economy and literally everyone in the province. Tourism and all businesses aren't exempt either because we need money being spent to support the province, not just huge expense fighting fires blind with tax dollars.
In 2003 after a lightning strike in Peachland, terrain and smoke prohibiting sight made it difficult to fight the fires even though the fire was right beside Okanagan Lake. Our fire budget provincially was 50 million and the direct and indirect costs after the fires were in the billions. This blog is going to discuss Kelowna, it doesn't give justice to what these fires did to Barrier, Little Fort, the rest of the province, the losses of wildlife, environment and health.
As soon as media started reporting problems seeing the fire because of smoke, I contacted media and forestry offering assistance. Seeing through smoke is a simple infrared imaging application that has been taught to fire departments for years on structural fires, forest fires are just bigger hot spots. I was told they had everything under control and thanked for my interest.
As I watched the progression of the fire towards Kelowna, I realized this fire was going to interface with the city and they couldn't see it. I got more anxious in our offer to help and offered services free because this fire was going to interface with the city I lived in. Unfortunately I was turned aside at every level and didn't get calls returned. On August 21, 2003 the valley was smoked in and hell came to town when it hit Kettle Valley. I was respecting fire services to stay out of the way but as I watched the fire approaching Kettle Valley at a reported 300 feet per minute, I flagged down a police patrol and showed him the fire was here. People were waiting evacuation orders and I was left with no option but to report this so they could move people out of harms way. 15,000 were evacuated from Kettle Valley.
On August 22, 2003 the valley was smoked in and I was watching the fire from Gyro Beach. In the early afternoon the wind started to blow and I watched hundreds of houses burning as the embers flew in front of the fire. Another 15,000 were evacuated and as it turned out, I was the only one that saw the fire interface. Here is an article by the only reporter that called me to see what I could see. Marshall Jones asked if he could use the images I took of the interface fire. Here is the article he wrote of dispatches between fire official being blind and the images of what we saw. http://www.thermoguy.com/media-0827032.html
After the fires were out and rain stopped the fires from progressing further, there was a public inquiry called. The Filmon Fire Inquiry was going to find out what happened and make recommendations so it didn't happen again. I looked forward to the opportunity of showing what they missed and that we fought the fire blind when we didn't have to. In November 2003 I presented graphic infrared images of the fire through the smoke from the lightning strike to interface as well as press releases from the BC Government reporting smoke prohibiting firefighting. We spent millions per day and couldn't see the fire. Gary Filmon was speechless with the presentation and Kelowna's council member Sharon Shepherd(now Mayor) congratulated me on the presentation.
When the inquiry came out with recommendations and costs, I was told by a local lawyer that I was edited out of the inquiry in its entirety. There were no images, audio or the fact I presented. I called Premier Campbell's Office and was told by Deputy Minister Don Lietz that the inquiry was based on audio only. They lost the audio feed so determined they might as well edit my participation out of the inquiry.
The real reason I was edited out of the inquiry is because Premier Gordon Campbell was on Gyro Beach on August 22 speaking with the press. Mr. Campbell and his entire entourage came over to me watching the buildings burning through the smoke while BCFS as well as firefighters were blind because of smoke. They all looked at the fire and asked if they were employing this to which I reported no, I was still waiting for a phone call to help.
I never thought the elected chief administrator for the province would put politics before the public that pays for them but that is the case. It was and is nothing personal in writing this, it is about a public servant editing a public inquiry putting party before the public they serve. Take this blog personally and if you lost your son, daughter, mother, brother, father or grandchild, would you accept an edited inquiry to protect the interest of the person that killed them? Neither can I and I wouldn't be doing my job if I didn't report it. It haunts me today that Australians ran for their lives and 100s burned to death because they couldn't see their fires coming. http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2009/feb/09/australia-bushfires California spent billions last year fighting forest fires blind when BC could have helped and built our economy.
http://articles.latimes.com/2008/dec/31/local/me-wildfires31
In July 2009, three forest fires hit West Kelowna and the Okanagan area again and there were evacuations of thousands, lost economy while the fires were fought blind at taxpayer's expense. Premier Campbell was true to political form and reported the 2009 process was faster even though people ran for their lives. When they report that a forest fire is 20% contained, I equate it to herding cattle where you have 20% of them contained. The other 80% aren't accounted for.
There needs to be a public inquiry that isn't done by the Premier's Office and there needs to be accountability because these fires aren't going to stop. Here is a link to the information and images edited out of the 2003 Fire Inquiry. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qvLa8kkXLzg
Go to this link to see the very basic imaging we did of the fires in 2009 while the government didn't provide one infrared image to their public. Http://www.thermoguy.com and scroll down to the video library of forest fire infrared videos.
Sad to report we are already building towards more fire severity and these fires aren't out yet. I have reported it to Premier Campbell and he hasn't responded for 2.5 years when he is the authority having jurisdiction.http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YlsSTl26gis
In 2003 after a lightning strike in Peachland, terrain and smoke prohibiting sight made it difficult to fight the fires even though the fire was right beside Okanagan Lake. Our fire budget provincially was 50 million and the direct and indirect costs after the fires were in the billions. This blog is going to discuss Kelowna, it doesn't give justice to what these fires did to Barrier, Little Fort, the rest of the province, the losses of wildlife, environment and health.
As soon as media started reporting problems seeing the fire because of smoke, I contacted media and forestry offering assistance. Seeing through smoke is a simple infrared imaging application that has been taught to fire departments for years on structural fires, forest fires are just bigger hot spots. I was told they had everything under control and thanked for my interest.
As I watched the progression of the fire towards Kelowna, I realized this fire was going to interface with the city and they couldn't see it. I got more anxious in our offer to help and offered services free because this fire was going to interface with the city I lived in. Unfortunately I was turned aside at every level and didn't get calls returned. On August 21, 2003 the valley was smoked in and hell came to town when it hit Kettle Valley. I was respecting fire services to stay out of the way but as I watched the fire approaching Kettle Valley at a reported 300 feet per minute, I flagged down a police patrol and showed him the fire was here. People were waiting evacuation orders and I was left with no option but to report this so they could move people out of harms way. 15,000 were evacuated from Kettle Valley.
On August 22, 2003 the valley was smoked in and I was watching the fire from Gyro Beach. In the early afternoon the wind started to blow and I watched hundreds of houses burning as the embers flew in front of the fire. Another 15,000 were evacuated and as it turned out, I was the only one that saw the fire interface. Here is an article by the only reporter that called me to see what I could see. Marshall Jones asked if he could use the images I took of the interface fire. Here is the article he wrote of dispatches between fire official being blind and the images of what we saw. http://www.thermoguy.com/media-0827032.html
After the fires were out and rain stopped the fires from progressing further, there was a public inquiry called. The Filmon Fire Inquiry was going to find out what happened and make recommendations so it didn't happen again. I looked forward to the opportunity of showing what they missed and that we fought the fire blind when we didn't have to. In November 2003 I presented graphic infrared images of the fire through the smoke from the lightning strike to interface as well as press releases from the BC Government reporting smoke prohibiting firefighting. We spent millions per day and couldn't see the fire. Gary Filmon was speechless with the presentation and Kelowna's council member Sharon Shepherd(now Mayor) congratulated me on the presentation.
When the inquiry came out with recommendations and costs, I was told by a local lawyer that I was edited out of the inquiry in its entirety. There were no images, audio or the fact I presented. I called Premier Campbell's Office and was told by Deputy Minister Don Lietz that the inquiry was based on audio only. They lost the audio feed so determined they might as well edit my participation out of the inquiry.
The real reason I was edited out of the inquiry is because Premier Gordon Campbell was on Gyro Beach on August 22 speaking with the press. Mr. Campbell and his entire entourage came over to me watching the buildings burning through the smoke while BCFS as well as firefighters were blind because of smoke. They all looked at the fire and asked if they were employing this to which I reported no, I was still waiting for a phone call to help.
I never thought the elected chief administrator for the province would put politics before the public that pays for them but that is the case. It was and is nothing personal in writing this, it is about a public servant editing a public inquiry putting party before the public they serve. Take this blog personally and if you lost your son, daughter, mother, brother, father or grandchild, would you accept an edited inquiry to protect the interest of the person that killed them? Neither can I and I wouldn't be doing my job if I didn't report it. It haunts me today that Australians ran for their lives and 100s burned to death because they couldn't see their fires coming. http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2009/feb/09/australia-bushfires California spent billions last year fighting forest fires blind when BC could have helped and built our economy.
http://articles.latimes.com/2008/dec/31/local/me-wildfires31
In July 2009, three forest fires hit West Kelowna and the Okanagan area again and there were evacuations of thousands, lost economy while the fires were fought blind at taxpayer's expense. Premier Campbell was true to political form and reported the 2009 process was faster even though people ran for their lives. When they report that a forest fire is 20% contained, I equate it to herding cattle where you have 20% of them contained. The other 80% aren't accounted for.
There needs to be a public inquiry that isn't done by the Premier's Office and there needs to be accountability because these fires aren't going to stop. Here is a link to the information and images edited out of the 2003 Fire Inquiry. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qvLa8kkXLzg
Go to this link to see the very basic imaging we did of the fires in 2009 while the government didn't provide one infrared image to their public. Http://www.thermoguy.com and scroll down to the video library of forest fire infrared videos.
Sad to report we are already building towards more fire severity and these fires aren't out yet. I have reported it to Premier Campbell and he hasn't responded for 2.5 years when he is the authority having jurisdiction.http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YlsSTl26gis