Frustration after wildfire near community on B.C. coast: First Nations chief

Power has been restored to a village near British Columbia’s Great Bear Rainforest, but the community’s chief says frustration lingers because members of the First Nation had to fight the blaze on their own after they were unable to get help from provincial government agencies.

Heiltsuk Chief Marilyn Slett said the fire broke out late Friday on a hillside across from Bella Bella in an area where several power lines are located. She said the First Nation spent the weekend trying to contact BC Wildfire, Provincial Emergency Preparedness and Boralex, which operates the power lines.

Boralex spokeswoman Lauriane Dery said the flames were put out Monday and power had been restored. The cause of the fire was unknown, but it followed an electrical failure on the transmission line during a wind storm Friday night, she said.

Forests Minister Steve Thomson said in a statement that a BC Wildfire Service duty officer was called about the fire around 1 a.m. on Saturday and remained in "constant contact" with the First Nation over the weekend.

The BC Wildfire Service said a response officer would be sent to the scene. The Wildfire Service also said the blaze was sparked by power lines brought down during the storm.

Storm−force winds of up to 90 kilometres an hour made fighting the fire difficult, Slett said. Heiltsuk emergency officials said flames from the fire were low, but burning vigorously near the ground, while a release from the Wildfire Service said no trees were charred.

Slett said the fire was in an area that is culturally significant and heavily used by the community. She compared the lack of response to the fire with the sinking of a commercial tug boat near their community that spilled more than 100,000 litres of diesel fuel late last year.

"Just like with the sinking of the Nathan E. Stewart, (we) found ourselves in the frustrating position of not having the proper equipment, resources, and training to respond fully to the situation," she said in a statement.

Thomson said in a statement that he’s confident the BC Wildfire Service acted appropriately. The fire was small and no people, homes or other infrastructure is at risk, he said.

"During the winter months, the BC Wildfire Service is not fully staffed up and it is not feasible to have crews on standby all year−round," Thomson said, adding that the Wildfire Service will monitor the situation and stay in close contact with the First Nation.