LYTLE: The unsung heroes of the fireline — wildfire professionals deserve our deepest reverence

Until recently, my views on wildfire protection and fighting were libertarian in the sense that the man in his castle is primarily responsible when his castle is on fire. There have been some recent adjustments to those views.In late July, the 'castle," which has been in my family for three generations, was threatened with fire. We watched with wonder and increasing concern as a small fire, first spotted approximately 15 km to the west at 4:30 pm became a wall of flame by 6:30 pm. What would happen if the 60 km per hour winds shifted and drove the fire toward us? All evening, we were entertained by six fire retardant bombers and an unknown number of water skimmers that carried on an intricate ballet as they circled overhead, pouring their cargo on one of four fires in the area. My mind went to the Berlin Airlift or the Battle of Britain. Later in the evening, the wind velocity increased, and the wall of flame rose and seemed to be coming closer.By 9:30 pm, BC Wildfire Service announced an evacuation alert, which was quickly changed to an order. The exodus of campers and property owners began. Go-bags were thrown into cars, and the line-up at the local gas station lengthened. An hour later, the entire Columbia Valley was shrouded in darkness as the fire destroyed part of the power line.As we brought out the generator and packed the cars, a close eye was kept on the pace and direction of the fire. A few decided to stay behind until the last minute to ensure the water sprinkling system was still active, and the rest of us left, some going north and others going south. Fortunately, and serendipitously, we all had full gas tanks. Otherwise, the power outage had removed a basic requirement for modern living — availability of gasoline. Motel and hotel accommodations in the area quickly filled up, and some of us slept in cars. My responsibility was to take my daughter and her young family to a nearby airport to catch a flight home. At 5 am we finally found a small motel with a room for us all..Within twenty-four hours of the evacuation order, the air temperature had dropped, and the wind stopped. The spread of the fire was arrested by the firefighters, although it continued to burn within the prescribed boundaries. The evacuation order was downgraded to an alert, the power was restored, and we returned to the property to sort out the mess left behind.Did BC Wildfire jump the gun and force a lot of people into a precipitous and very uncomfortable flight from the general vicinity of the fire? In retrospect, I suppose the answer is yes, but to my surprise, I was not bitter about their decision. I now conclude that evacuation orders are to ensure an orderly and timely retreat so that a column of motorists does not get caught in an inferno caused by a shift in the wind. Contrary to my previous assumption, we were not told to leave so that the firefighters would be able to triage homes to be saved in the absence of cranky homeowners. They just wanted to save our lives by controlling the logistics of the retreat. It begs the question of the adequacy of highway construction in a country that does not have a continuous four-lane highway from east to west, but that is the topic of another article..I am also profoundly impressed by the professionalism of the BC Wildfire Service. The fire that affected us was stopped within meters of homes and crops. This was due to their ability to assess the danger of this fire against the danger of many other fires, understand the risks of a wind shift, and respond with speed and necessary resources. No doubt the drop in temperature and wind speed was providential as well.When I considered the aerial ballet of the opening attack, it occurred to me that the pilots were maneuvering in a very crowded corridor while fighting high winds and rising columns of heated air. Beautiful as it was, it was also very dangerous. Who volunteers for that level of danger? People who are so well trained that the danger is largely mitigated, I suppose. It is humbling to know that such people exist and are willing to fight fires on my behalf. It adds necessary perspective to the discomfort of my sleepless night.I have jettisoned many of my prior assumptions and strategies to deal with a wildfire threatening our property. My vehicles will always be filled with gasoline. My sprinkler system will be far more robust and able to deliver more water in the right locations. The wooden deck will get a rethink, and I will say many more prayers for the men and women who fight fires on my behalf. I am comfortable in saying that if our little cabin ever goes up in flames, it won't be for want of effort by those largely unsung heroes.