We returned from our Kelowna deployment late Tuesday. Now we again find ourselves preparing Chopper 9 to go into yet another fire. Yes the fire season is firmly upon us. This time we are preparing to fly to the town of Lilooet British Columbia. A small fire there has grown to a large fire and evacuations could be imminant.
Word also this morning that a fire that we had flown on earlier this week near Terrace Mountain has grown to be a monster. There are now 2200 people in a nearby town on evacuation order. We still have crews on the ground in the area but the NOTAM has been modified to 12000 ft above and 5 mile around the fire.
The mission to Lilooet will not involve us overnighting at this point.
There is lightning in the forecast, this could be the mother of all fire seasons.
2 comments:
Have fun out there and of course, fly safe!
Here in Montreal, we just lost a collegue of yours: a cameraman from CTV who died in a chopper crash while shooting pictures of a tornado aftermath.
Hugh is a big lost to the television community of Montreal.
We continue to watch your aerial pictures by the web. Make us proud!! :-))
Max
TVA Montreal
Hugh's death has affected us all here at CTV. I had the good fortune of meeting him during the Kelowna Fires in 2003. He was dispatched here to cover for a vacationing Vancouver National Crew and provided very valuable editing supportfor a week or so.
I know he was here for something else as well, b ut I cannot put my finger on it.
Good guy always seemed to have a smile on and always seemed to be calm when others around were having their heads spin off.
Stay and fly safe Max.
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