Editor, The Times:
An open letter to Kamloops Fire Centre:
I would be happy to learn about the way of thinking of our politicians and professionals on how it works when a fire appears.
My question is: Why is a small fire left to its nature and allowed to spread and grow into a huge state, especially amid conditions that help fires grow — sunny, hot and dry weather for weeks?
I would like to know why is a fire not fought right at the time when it is still manageable? Why are not all available people brought in to fight it when it is possible to extinguish the fire completely? Why is it let go to such proportions that it gets out of control?
If such help was there from the beginning, when the fire was small, it would have saved plenty of animals, properties, functional land and timber.
I could not believe my eyes when I read the report from Kamloops Fire Centre in a July edition of KTW – 120 firefighters for 6,150 hectares. Simple calculation gives you one firefighter for 51 hectares.
Are we going to spend the rest of this summer indoors or be choked with smoke outdoors, where there is a high risk of all kinds of diseases?
Who is responsible and accountable for this?
Vera Durst
Logan Lake, B.C.