Fire crews delay plans to use thermal camera at Minnekhada Park until rain falls
Fire crews in Coquitlam are waiting for the rain before proceeding with plans to use a thermal heat scan at Minnekhada Regional Park, which has been closed since a wildfire broke out on Oct. 1.
While the flames are under control, the Metro Vancouver Regional District says the decision to delay thermal scanning, which was set to happen on Monday, is based on changing weather patterns and operational priorities.
“Our ground patrols have been extremely effective at locating and extinguishing hot spots,” explains Brant Arnold-Smith, the region’s emergency operations centre director.
The purpose of using thermal cameras while battling fires, according to Arnold-Smith, is to help crews identify and map hotspots that would be otherwise unreachable or untraceable. Drones are outfitted with the camera, which then examines surface temperatures from the air.
“In some instances, there may be no sign of smoke, fire, or other indicators,” Arnold-Smith says. “A thermal scan can…allows crews to quickly respond to hot spots that have the potential to burn hidden underground and reignite.”
More than two weeks after the fire was deemed “under control,” triggering a multi-jurisdiction response, only MVRD emergency personnel remain on site. Fully-extinguishing the flames has been a difficult feat due to steep, challenging terrain at the park, as well as unseasonably warm weather conditions.
On Twitter this week, MVRD posted a thread detailing the different angles crews have been taking to tackle the fire. With the help of helicopters, emergency personnel have been able to transfer thousands of gallons of water per hour from the Pitt River on to the fire, according to the tweet.
Crews have also been utilizing the park’s natural firefighting tools, like trails that block the path of quick-spreading flames. In addition, the efforts have included the use of handheld tools for chopping and digging, and hoses designed to be carried long distances over steep and rough terrain.
Arnold-Smith says his team knows there’s a lot of public interest in the park’s status, which is why updates are being regularly posted online.
“We are incredibly proud of the work that our crews have done,” says Arnold-Smith. “We hope to keep the public informed of the work crews are doing while increasing awareness of the efforts and resources required to battle a wildfire.”
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Serial sexual offender linked to unsolved 1970s homicides of four Calgary girls, women
An investigation into unsolved historical homicides from the 1970s has linked the deaths of two girls and two young women in and around Calgary to a now-deceased serial offender.
Woman with liver failure rejected for a transplant after medical review highlights alcohol use
For nearly three months, Amanda Huska has been in an Ontario hospital, part of it on life support, because of severe liver failure. Her history of alcohol use is getting in the way of her only potential treatment: a liver transplant.
Video appears to show Sean 'Diddy' Combs beating singer Cassie in hotel hallway in 2016
Security video aired by CNN appears to show Sean 'Diddy' Combs physically assaulting singer Cassie in a Los Angeles hotel hallway in 2016.
Scottie Scheffler isn't the first pro golfer to be arrested during a tournament
Scottie Scheffler's arrest hours before his second-round tee time at the PGA Championship in Louisville, Kentucky, will go down as one of the most shocking in professional golf history. It certainly wasn't the first, though.
B.C. man 'attacked suddenly' by adult grizzly near Alberta border: RCMP
A B.C. man is recovering from multiple injuries after he was "attacked suddenly" by an adult grizzly bear near Elkford Thursday afternoon.
Anglers reel in 3.5-metre-long tiger shark off coast of Florida: 'She found my bait'
A group of fishers said it took roughly 20 minutes to reel in this 3.5-metre-long tiger shark off the coast of Florida.
Australia's richest woman seeks removal of her portrait from exhibition
Art is subjective. And while many artists long to share their work with the world, there's no guarantee that the audience will understand it, or even like it.
Canadian convicted of attacking Nancy Pelosi's husband with a hammer sentenced to 30 years
The man convicted of attempting to kidnap then-U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and attacking her husband with a hammer was sentenced Friday to 30 years in prison.
Israeli military finds bodies of 3 Gaza hostages killed at music festival
Israeli military says its troops in Gaza found the bodies of three Israeli hostages taken by Hamas during its Oct. 7 attack, including German-Israeli Shani Louk.