As extreme drought conditions continue throughout the province of British Columbia, residents in the Okanagan grow more concerned about new wildfires every day. After a grass fire at a slope above Kalamalka Lake on the previous day and the following night, smoke was spotted a few miles west of Becker Lake. High winds ignited a spot fire to to a blaze of several hectares. Air tankers and helicopters from Kamloops and Vernon fought the wildfire for most of the day.
The B.C. Wildfire Service says it is responding to a new wildfire near Vernon in B.C.’s north Okanagan Saturday. According to the BC Wildfire Service, the Becker Lake wildfire just east of Vernon was first listed around a hectare in size but is very visible from Vernon and the surrounding area. The fire is currently classified as “out of control.”
Fire information officer Aydan Coray said the wildfire is three to five kilometres outside of town and the cause is currently unknown. Twenty-six BC Wildfire Service fire personnel are on scene fighting the Becker Lake wildfire, alongside four helicopters and air tanker support.
The initial fire fighting attack was carried out by one man intermeshing rotor helicopter dropping water on the grounds above Pottery Road on Friday, July 9, 2021. Intermeshing rotor helicopters also known as synchropters, have two main rotors that spin in opposite directions and overlap with each other. The flight characteristics of these machine make them idea for wildland firefighting as they can operate in tight spaces and difficult terrain.
An air tanker drops retardant onto the Becker Lake Wildfire shortly after its discovery. Retardants, commonly recognized by their bright red colour, are usually dropped ahead of an advancing fire by airtankers and helicopters to help contain the wildfire. The colouring allows fire crews to easily see where the retardant has landed. Retardants contain ammonium salts and are essentially water-soluble, industrial-strength fertilizer (with colouring added) that affect the burning process of forest fuels. When flames come into contact with retardant, the resulting reaction releases a combination of water and carbon dioxide that helps cool and suffocate the fire.
The Avro RJ85 AT as seen actioning the Becker Lake wildfire, features a four engine reliability providing excellent short field performance along with multiple system redundancy. The RJ85 provides excellent low speed and high speed performance making this aircraft an ideal air tanker in any terrain. It can deliver a maximum of 11,355 litres (3,000 US gallons) of retardant or water.
Air tankers are fixed-wing aircraft that have been repurposed from retired commercial airliners to help douse wildfires. They are typically loaded with long-term retardant at a tanker base prior to departure to a wildfire. These aircraft have been selected for this role because of their speed-handling characteristics and the size of the load they can carry.
2021 Becker Lake Wildfire Vernon BC – #03 Video Archive
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