Chetwynd mayor disputes province’s closure of Northern Initial Attack Crew base

CHETWYND, B.C. — Chetwynd Mayor Allen Courtoreille is not accepting the claims made by Bruce Ralston, the province’s minister of forests, about the closure of the district’s Northern Initial Attack Crew (NIFAC) base.

A follow-up letter from Courtoreille disputing the minister’s claims was presented at the PRRD’s April 18th board meeting following the province’s decision to relocate the crew from Chetwynd to Dawson Creek.

“Your letter does not alleviate our concerns, and we will continue to protest this arbitrary decision that significantly increases the risk to our region,” wrote Courtoreille.

In a letter on March 22nd, Ralston said the closure of the Chetwynd base is due to the current absence of full-time staff and the base’s aging infrastructure. 

“During the March 27th Seasonal Update for Mayors and Chairs, you referred to increasing permanent wildfire staff by 50 per cent and doubling the number of new recruits, staffing did not seem like an issue,” said Courtoreille. 

Courtoreille did not dispute the base’s conditions but said replacing the facility would be less expensive than replacing infrastructure destroyed by a wildfire due to the delayed response time. 

The minister said his decision will allow the province to replace the current facility with a forward attack facility, allowing BC Wildfire Service (BCWS) to position initial attack resources in the Chetwynd area. 

Courtoreille says it is unclear what the service level expectations for a ‘forward attack facility would be. The crew has been relocated to Dawson Creek and has not been replaced. 

Ralston said the closure will not reduce service as the Dawson Creek fire zone is within Chetwynd’s range. 

“They will be available when their capabilities are needed,” said Ralston. 

 “When crews are not located at the Chetwynd forward attack base, travel by helicopter would be 20 to 30 minutes from the crew’s assembly point in the Dawson Creek Fire Zone,” Ralston continued. 

The Dawson Creek mustering point is an additional 10 to 15 minutes to the airport, said Courtoreille, adding that it would be “at least” a one-hour delay for fires past Chetwynd, such as the Pine Pass.

“We have already seen three out-of-control fires this spring, several grass fires, and are facing an exceedingly grim forecasted fire season. A rapid response is critical in fire suppression and minimizes risk to residents,” said Courtoreille.

In his letter, Courtoreille provided statistics on local wildfires over the last 10 years. According to the data, 14 wildfires were within five kilometres of Chetwynd, eight were within 10 kilometres, and 65 were within 25 kilometres. 

“We urge you in the strongest possible terms to revisit this decision and help keep our NIFAC base in Chetwynd,” wrote Courtoreille.

Other nearby districts, like Tumbler Ridge and Hudson’s Hope, have penned letters condemning the decision to move the NIFAC. They say it would increase response times, impacting thousands of people during wildfire season.

Chetwynd residents have also started a petition against fire crew relocation.

During the meeting, the PRRD board voted in favour of sending Minister Ralston a letter of support for keeping the base in Chetwynd. 

All letters between Courtoreille and Ralston can be viewed below: